Developer John Woodman regularly spoke about meeting with senior politicians
Explosive phone recordings have revealed a Ferrari-driving developer sought meetings with government figures while flagging donations.
Victoria
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Developer John Woodman regularly talked about meeting senior politicians and making donations while discussing contentious planning changes he wanted to pass, the state’s anti-corruption watchdog has heard.
Labor-linked lobbyist Philip Staindl on Tuesday told the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission it was fair to say the developer thought he was paying for political influence while contributing to political campaigns.
Emails and phone taps played to the commission show Mr Woodman often sought meetings with government figures and flagged donations with Mr Staindl while talking about land rezoning at the centre of the corruption investigation.
Evidence included briefing notes prepared for a planned meeting with then premier John Brumby in 2009 and an email chain from 2010 detailing talks with Liberal MP Matthew Guy, both about rezoning a Cranbourne South farm known as Brompton Lodge.
In an email from 2014, Mr Woodman flags a meeting believed to be with former Cranbourne MP Jude Perera and then opposition leader Daniel Andrews over land at Cranbourne West.
“We need to organise a meeting with Jude and Daniel regarding fundraising and advise of the proposed rezoning which we need to happen pretty quick,” Mr Woodman wrote at the time.
In the same email chain, Mr Staindl flags a meeting with Martin Pakula, now Major Events Minister, to discuss fundraising.
The commission heard it was unlikely any meeting with Mr Andrews took place at that time.
Counsel assisting the commission Michael Tovey QC on Tuesday put it to Mr Staindl the email reflected how Mr Woodman regularly “goes about things”.
“Get the council doing what you need them to do and get the politicians knowledgeable about the issue and feeling obligated,” he said.
Mr Staindl agreed this was a fair assessment.
The lobbyist was also grilled over conversations in which Mr Woodman discussed adding $20,000 to the campaign of now Labor MP Pauline Richards after she was briefed about the proposal, known as C219, to rezone the Cranbourne West land.
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