By Cam Lucadou-Wells
The joke was apparently on a journalist inquiring about an ALP election fundraiser staged by property developer John Woodman.
In a secretly taped conversation played at an IBAC hearing, Mr Woodman and his hired ALP lobbyist Philip Staindl discuss an upcoming “negative” article in The Age on the eve of the 2018 state election.
The story was about to reveal the 2014 fundraiser at Crown Casino for MPs Martin Pakula, Judith Graley and Jude Perera, the IBAC Operation Stanton inquiry is told.
“The imputation (the journalist) is trying to create is that … the function is to raise funds for the South East MPs, that is giving you undue access and influence to them,” Mr Staindl says.
“Yeah, which is exactly right,” Mr Woodman replies.
The pair laugh before Mr Woodman adds: “Well I wouldn’t say undue access.”
In the covert tapes heard by IBAC, Mr Staindl tells Mr Woodman of how he “claimed ignorance” to the journalist.
He mentioned Mr Woodman’s company Watsons bought four tickets to the event – but didn’t tell the reporter that associates Wolfdene and Schutz Consulting may have both bought four, he says.
Villawood Properties executive director Tony Johnson was also at the event, he says.
Mr Woodman struggles to recall – remembering a fundraiser that auctioned off a helicopter ride.
“Geeze we’ve run so many of these things,” he says.
“Yeah I know, I felt like saying … ‘F***. You’ve only found out about one?’” Mr Staindyl says.
“Ha, ha, yeah, what about the other twenty?” Mr Woodman says, laughing.
Mr Staindl tells Mr Woodman that the story wouldn’t have “leaked” if not for then-Cranbourne MP Mr Perera “spilling the beans”.
“Jude just spilled his guts.”
An ALP life member, Mr Staindl tells Mr Woodman he spoke to Mr Pakula the night before.
“The reason I spoke to (the journalist) was because Pakula had told him it wasn’t a Watsons function, it was a Staindl function and I’m happy to wear that,” Mr Staindl says.
“So make sure we hold to that line because that particular function was just a Watsons function.”
At the IBAC hearing on 10 November, Mr Staindl said Mr Pakula was a “political acquaintance” rather than friend.
Mr Staindl agreed he misled the journalist. He was trying to “minimize the political fallout” from a “potentially damaging story”, he said.
“You were talking about lying, weren’t you,” counsel assisting the inquiry, Michael Tovey, said.
“I was putting a particular slant on the story,” Mr Staindl said.
Mr Tovey said Mr Woodman was laughing at the “exactly right” line because “why am I paying all this money if I’m not getting undue access?”
Mr Staindl said he didn’t “entirely” agree.
“People like Martin Pakula are smart enough and sensible enough to be able to balance different influences on them in making a decision, and as a senior minister I couldn’t imagine him being persuaded or swayed in a particular direction by virtue of someone who has contributed money to candidates or MPs associated with him.”
Mr Tovey said “we’re talking about access, we’re talking about the opportunity to persuade”.
“Possibly,” Mr Staindl said.
“At the end of the day, if a minister doesn’t want to see someone, they won’t.”
The IBAC inquiry is investigating allegedly corrupt dealings involving Mr Woodman and Casey councillors.
It is also exploring Mr Woodman’s links with State Government Ministers and South East MPs.
The inquiry heard that Mr Woodman donated more than $150,000 to Labor ahead of the 2018 election, including $20,000 to the successful Cranbourne candidate Pauline Richards and $20,380 to then-Attorney General and Keysborough MP Martin Pakula.
Mr Pakula has disputed the size of the donation.
The hearings are ongoing.
