By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Former Labor MP Judith Graley says she turned down a community-development job offer from developer John Woodman, an IBAC inquiry has heard.
The offer came in August 2018 during a “general catchup” over a “cup of tea” in Florentino restaurant.
Ms Graley had already announced her political retirement as a Narre Warren South MP.
Mr Woodman – flanked by his hired ALP lobbyist Philip Staindl – told her that “you should come and work with me”, she told the Operation Sandon inquiry on 25 November.
“I never said yes to the job,” she told the hearing.
She said she turned down Mr Woodman at a second meeting at Florentino.
The job description was “very vague”, Ms Graley said.
“I can assure you … I was not going to do government relations or media or political engagement when I left politics.
“He had picked a skill set of mine, which I think is valuable, which is working with communities, working on community consultations and using community development techniques to get to develop action, political action, get things done.”
The inquiry heard a covert phone tap of Mr Woodman and Mr Staindl discussing an “on the ground” role for Ms Graley.
Mr Woodman says: “We will be going forward with her.”
They were to raise the matter with her at a lunch at Point Leo Estate restaurant on 2 November – a meeting that Ms Graley said never eventuated.
Ms Graley said she instead lunched with Mr Woodman and his executive assistant in late January 2019.
On 10 March 2020, IBAC heard that Ms Graley’s job with Mr Woodman was scuttled after she was told by ALP senior advisers to stay away from Mr Woodman’s push for Amendment C219.
C219 proposed the rezoning of industrial land for housing in Cranbourne West.
Developer consultant Tom Kenessey told the hearing that a “devastated” Ms Graley apparently told Mr Woodman in early 2019 she was going to take 12 months’ holiday and didn’t want to work with him anymore.
Mr Woodman seemed “disappointed” by the news, Mr Kenessey said.
Counsel assisting IBAC, Michael Tovey, told Mr Staindl as an IBAC witness on 12 November that the job offer “smacks very much of a bribe”.
“No, it was actually looking at how we could build on her skill set, and the area that was being discussed was community development because she had a strong interest in that role,” Mr Staindl replied.
In the lead-up, Ms Graley had been advocating to the Planning Minister Richard Wynne’s office for the rezoning of Cranbourne West industrial land, the inquiry heard.
At stake was a $200 million residential estate proposal by developer Leightons and ensuing windfall profits. Mr Woodman stood to gain a $2 million ’success fee’.
Ms Graley said she was motivated by the community’s desire, and denied she was “enmeshed” as part of the Woodman “team” or the “champion” of the cause.
According to IBAC’s analysis, Mr Woodman and his entities paid $17,500 in Ms Graley’s electoral campaign fund in 2014-’16.
Cranbourne MPs Jude Perera and his successor Pauline Richards’ campaigns received $57,350 from Woodman between 2014-’19.
In October and November 2018, reports in The Age linked C219 to alleged inappropriate influence involving Mr Woodman, state MPs and Casey councillors.
Soon after, on the eve of a state election, Mr Wynne deferred his decision on the rezoning.
Ms Graley said she had “no idea” that Mr Woodman was cultivating a network of political influence at state and council level.
“I find it distressing … ”
