Developer offered exclusive meeting with Victorian Liberal leader

The boss of a Liberal Party fundraising arm has been heard in a secretly recorded call offering an allegedly corrupt developer access to senior MPs.

The boss of a Liberal Party fundraising arm has been heard in a secretly recorded call offering an allegedly corrupt developer a meeting with senior Victorian MPs Michael O’Brien and Robert Clarke.

A corruption inquiry has heard then Enterprise Victoria executive director Amy Sullivan phoned developer John Woodman in February 2019 seeking his membership renewal and, in turn, asking if it would be “of value” to him to meet the newly elected Opposition leader, Mr O’Brien, and party president Mr Clark.

“I’m sure they’d be all ears and I’d be happy to facilitate a meeting,” Ms Sullivan tells Mr Woodman.

“You arrange a meeting with Michael and Robert and I’ll be there and we can finalise the deal,” Mr Woodman responds.

“I’ve got a few things that I need to talk to Michael about and I need their support.”

Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Daniel Pockett

Mr Woodman has been central to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission inquiry into allegedly corrupt conduct involving councillors and property developers in southeast Melbourne’s Casey council.

Commissioner Robert Redlich QC suggested Mr Woodman’s support to the Liberal fundraising arm would be tied to how his talk with Mr O’Brien went.

“It reads that way,” Ms Sullivan said. “I genuinely can’t recall the conversation.”

Ms Sullivan said the meeting never went ahead.

Mr Redlich suggested the situation was an example of political donors obtaining privileged access to the most senior Liberal figures.

During the phone call, Ms Sullivan tells Mr Woodman new laws tightening political donation rules would have “absolute zero impact” on donor contributions because of a loophole.

IBAC commissioner Robert Redlich QC at Monday’s inquiry.

Mr Woodman then went on to donate $70,000 to Enterprise Victoria but it was split into $10,000 increments to avoid political donation disclosure thresholds, the inquiry heard.

Before the phone call was played on Monday, Ms Sullivan told the inquiry she had not had any such conversations with Mr Woodman.

She also said she could not recall ever personally assisting him with his membership.

“I have totally not recalled that conversation until now,” she said.

Ms Sullivan also earlier said she was unaware of any loophole in donation laws.

The inquiry continues on Wednesday.

Originally published as Developer offered exclusive meeting with Victorian Liberal leader