Questions raised over Planning Minister’s dealings with developer
Planning Minister Richard Wynne has come under scrutiny over his dealings with Ferrari-driving developer John Woodman, who is at the centre of an IBAC corruption scandal.
Victoria
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Questions have been raised over Planning Minister Richard Wynne’s dealings with Ferrari-driving developer John Woodman.
Mr Wynne has admitted attending a string of functions and forums with Mr Woodman, who is now at the centre of an IBAC corruption scandal, but said he was always accompanied by probity officers.
But details obtained in a Freedom of Information fight by the state opposition have revealed that the probity officer referred to was engaged by Labor fundraising arm Progressive Business.
Progressive Business held about 10 “business engagement functions” in 2019, with Woodman forking out thousands of dollars to be a “platinum” member of the group.
Progressive Business describes itself as a “membership-based association that exists to provide opportunities for business to connect with the Victorian government and federal Opposition”.
Questions have also been raised about Mr Wynne’s claims to parliament that he never attended a Progressive Business event without an independent probity auditor in attendance.
“On all occasions when I have been involved in Progressive Business events an independent probity auditor has been part of all those conversations, and indeed to all of the people who participated in those events with me it was made very clear that the probity auditor was in attendance,” he told parliament in March.
But a Freedom of Information request failed to uncover any event briefs or probity auditor reports for 12 Progressive Business events attended by Mr Wynne between 2016 and 2018.
The Office of the Victorian Information Commission revealed that on one occasion Mr Wynne was accompanied by a probity auditor “engaged by Progressive Business”.
Opposition leader Michael O’Brien on Thursday asked Daniel Andrews: “How long has the fox been in charge of the henhouse when it comes to your government’s integrity?”
The Premier said the engagement of probity auditors was not a matter for him.
A government spokesperson said it was “absolutely ridiculous to suggest it would be in any way appropriate for the Minister to have a public servant attend or be involved in a political party’s fundraising event at the expense of the Victorian taxpayer”.
In a statement Mr O’Brien said it was inappropriate for the government to use its political fundraising arm to police the integrity of government ministers meeting with developers.
“This is a massive conflict of interest. The same Labor fundraising arm that accepts donations from dodgy developer John Woodman is also responsible for ensuring the probity of Labor ministers and Labor donors,” he said.
“There is nothing ‘independent’ about a probity auditor engaged by Labor’s fundraising arm.
“Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog has been calling for more funding from the Andrews Labor government to ensure it can carry out its basic funding and Andrews has denied this request.”
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