CFMEU and election fixer Glenn Druery constructed plan to get Andy Meddick into parliament

Election fixer Glenn Druery says he did a deal with the CFMEU over lunch to get a member of the militant union into Spring St.

Militant construction union the CFMEU allegedly orchestrated a secret preference deal over lunch and fine wines to install an allied candidate into state parliament.

Explosive leaked video reveals election fixer Glenn Druery detailing a meal with executives from the union in 2018, during which he was asked to construct a winning preference flow for Animal Justice Party (AJP) candidate Andy Meddick.

In return, Mr Druery says he was told the CFMEU would ensure the ALP – to which the union is aligned and was pouring money into via member fees – preferenced minor parties ahead of the Greens in upper house group voting tickets.

“I had to elect Andy Meddick, it was part of the deal,” he tells Angry Victorians Party representatives in the video.

Glenn Druery said he constructed a winning preference flow for Animal Justice Party candidate Andy Meddick.

Meddick is a former construction worker who won a seat in parliament with 2.7 per cent of the vote. Picture: Dannika Bonser

“The CFMEU came to me, who at the time – this time four years ago – was the biggest financial contributor to the ALP and I know them, I know the executives there.

“We had lunch, some nice wine, and he (a union executive) said, you know, ‘you are wondering why we are having a chat’ and I said, ‘I think I know why we are having a chat’.

“I said, ‘Andy Meddick wears steel cap boots and high-vis clothing and you want him in parliament’ and they said ‘We do’.

“And I said, ‘And you’re going to tell me that you’ll go to the ALP and make sure I get ALP preferences before the Greens everywhere’. ‘We are’. Job done.”

Mr Meddick is a former construction worker who lists on his register of interests membership of the CFMEU.

He won a seat at parliament in the Western Victoria division with 2.7 per cent of the vote.

In the leaked video, Mr Druery boasts that by manipulating preference deals in different electorates he is able to direct enough votes to allied parties to get them a seat at parliament despite low primary votes.

The CFMEU allegedly agree to make sure the ALP preferenced minor parties over the Greens in upper house voting. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

The AJP had been part of Mr Druery’s 2022 preference harvesting machine until Sunday evening, when the minor party was accused of reneging on a deal.

Asked on Tuesday why it backed out of the deal, the AJP’s state election manager Ben Schultz said the party did not support preference harvesting, leading to howls of hypocrisy.

In the leaked video, Mr Druery says the deal with the CFMEU and AJP in 2018 was to ensure his group had enough numbers to knock off Greens MPs.

He adds that he wouldn’t deal with the union’s state secretary, but that he is still benefiting from CFMEU intelligence.

“I’ve still got an in with the CFMEU, they are giving me polling and things,” he says.

Mr Druery also advises Angry Victorians Party bosses they could run “pawn” candidates who quit within months if successful at the election.

“I suggested the theory of ‘the pawns must die so the king can live’,” he says.

“Get people in these other seats who are absolutely prepared to resign and give it to you (if they win).

“You need a situation there where that it is one of your pawns trusted – I mean absolutely trusted people – that within weeks, a month or two, for family reasons, whatever, it doesn’t matter for what reason, they resign and by convention the party, you guys, puts up another name, there’s a joint-sitting of parliament – bang, you are a member of parliament. That’s how it works. If you are going to get elected, that is your pathway forward.”