By Deborah Gough and Richard Willingham
Premier Ted Baillieu has emerged from separate meetings of Liberal and Coalition members saying he intends to remain leader of the government, as the scandal regarding former adviser Tristan Weston deepens.
More evidence emerged this Tuesday morning that Tristan Weston, the adviser at the centre of the police command scandal, received significant support from the Liberal Party.
The matter of the former state Liberal adviser Tristan Weston (pictured) has been referred to the integrity commissioner.Credit: Scott Naughton
Mr Weston was "hung out to dry" while his Liberal colleagues denigrated him publicly, the state's most senior Liberal, state director Damien Mantach, told him in a newly revealled tape-recording.
In the recording, Mr Mantach tells Mr Weston, a former adviser to the Deputy Premier, National MP Peter Ryan, that he has been a victim of Coalition crossfire and would be supported quietly.
"I think that you have been hung out to dry in this whole process," Mr Mantach says.
"There has been crossfire in the Liberal-National relations and that has not been helpful," he says.
Mr Mantach then describes how the Liberal Party had already supported him with accommodation, and that he would have a job with the party for "a few months".
"You should not think that you are persona non grata," he says in the tape.
On Monday, Mr Baillieu asked the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate whether his most senior adviser, Tony Nutt and Mr Mantach acted corruptly. Mr Baillieu said Mr Nutt would continue to work for him.
It was revealed that tapes showed Mr Mantach and Mr Nutt had offered assistance to Mr Weston, including $22,500, accommodation and help to find work.
Mr Weston was investigated by the former Office of Police Integrity, which exposed a campaign to undermine former police commissioner Simon Overland and to install his then-deputy Sir Ken Jones.
Liberal backbencher Simon Ramsay called for "balls and some truth" on his way into the Liberals-only meeting.
Mr Baillieu's most recent Newspoll showed his disapproval rating to be 53 per cent, with only a 31 per cent approval rating. Labor was in a winning position of 53 per cent approval compared to 47 per cent for the Liberal-Coalition.
Planning Minister Matthew Guy, often discussed as a potential replacement Liberal leader, would not be drawn on the leadership when speaking on ABC Radio before the Liberal meeting.
Fairfax Media has revealed that Mr Guy attended secret dinners where developers paid $10,000 to a fund-raising arm of the Liberal Party.
Some of the Melbourne property developers who had attended the secret dinners needed Mr Guy's approval for various applications. The dinners were also attended by the then urban renewal authority chief Peter Clarke.
"The key point is that no one has raised any allegation of substance where I have made a decision because they've had a conversation with me," Mr Guy said.
Mr Guy described the tapes revealed in the Herald Sun on Monday as "not profoundly undermining".
Mr Baillieu emerged from the Liberal party meeting, which occurs every second sitting week, saying the meeting was "all good".
He would not disclose what was discussed, but asked if he was confident of being premier in 2014, he replied "yes".
The joint party meeting wrapped up at 11.30am and Mr Baillieu emerged saying it was a good meeting and that he had the backing of his party.
"Nothing has changed," Mr Baillieu said.
Mr Ryan said he would speak to the media later today. But Mr Baillieu said Mr Ryan’s position as deputy leader and minister had not changed.
Most MPs declined to comment, others said it was a good meeting.