How timesheets were used to siphon your taxpayer dollars to fund Labor election bid

IT was the ploy used to funnel hundreds of thousands of your taxpayer dollars towards boosting Labor’s chances of winning a state election. Here’s how it was done.

Alex White and Matt Johnston

3 min read

March 21, 2018 - 9:39PM

VIC News

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A YEAR before the 2014 Victorian election, ALP assistant state secretary Stephen Donnelly sent out a job advertisement calling for full-time field organisers.

The advert of November 29, 2013, shows that Labor wanted hard workers to be “part of the most exciting and innovative campaign to happen in a generation”.

“Employment wages and conditions will be underpinned by the ALP (Victorian Branch) Staff Enterprise Agreement. The salary will be $63,256 p.a. and a tablet and phone will be provided,” the advert says.

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In December 2013, the then ALP state secretary Noah Carroll sent a letter of offer detailing a start date of March 3 for the “full-time, fixed term position” under the ALP staff EBA.

When the field organisers arrived at a training day to start their positions, some were surprised to hear that their pay would come from two sources.

Three days a week the ALP would cough up the money, while state parliament would foot the bill for the other two.

Pre-filled parliamentary timesheets were produced for the new recruits to sign.

Labor assistant secretary Stephen Donnelly with “red shirt” volunteers.

The statutory declaration of the whistleblower who exposed the rort.

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When questions were asked about this new arrangement, one witness said former state treasurer John Lenders replied: “If anyone asks any questions, you are employed by the party full-time.”

Ombudsman Deborah Glass describes that dodgy arrangement as the “artifice” — a cunning device or trick — to milk more money for Labor’s campaigning.

“The arrangement to employ field organisers as electorate officers was an artifice to secure partial payment for the campaign out of parliamentary funds, and was wrong,” she says.

The Ombudsman’s report gives details about how timesheets were partially completed by Mr Lenders’ staffer, Jadon Mintern.

“Field organisers were asked to sign their names, leaving the dates of signature blank. The sections requiring a Member of Parliament’s name and signature were also left blank,” she says.

“Although the timesheets signed almost always recorded that 7.6 hours had been worked on particular weekdays, usually the Wednesday and Thursday, the hours recorded on the time-sheets did not accurately reflect the times worked on those days.”

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Tweets showing FOs in Labor-branded activities at times when time sheets show they were working as electorate officers.

Estimated amounts as noted in the Ombudsman’s report.

The timesheets were distributed by Mr Mintern, and he delivered them to MPs to sign. The Ombudsman’s report shows some MPs claimed they thought they were contributing to an existing and different “pooling” scheme that operated at parliament.

“I also accept that they agreed to part with a portion of their budget entitlement in good faith, following discussions with Mr Lenders, believing it to be legitimate,” Ms Glass said.

“Regardless of their intentions, however, they were wrong ... their actions breached the Members’ Guide.”

Premier Daniel Andrews with some of the ‘red shirt’ volunteer brigade.

She adds: “During 2014, most participating Members had limited contact with the persons they had nominated as their electorate officers, and neither those Members nor their staff directed their day-to-day work activities.”

Between $2358 and $44,732 was siphoned from each MP’s office budget to pay the full-time field organisers on the false premise they were working part-time as electorate officers, considerably boosting Labor’s campaign resources.

Former state treasurer John Lenders was said to describe the structure as “straddling the line” — a phrase he told investigators he did not recollect using. But Mr Lenders said: “I recall one person asked a question about whether the arrangements were legitimate. I responded by saying that I felt they were, but that it would be unwise for field organisers to speak publicly about the arrangements.”

The letter of offer to a field organiser, signed by then-ALP State Secretary Noah Carroll, clearly stating it is a full-time position.