Liberal official Barrie Macmillan forced to quit over Matthew Guy mafia scandal

Official at centre of Mafia scandal enveloping Victorian opposition leader Matthew Guy forced to quit his party roles.

Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy during a press conference on Tuesday. Picture: AAP.

The Liberal official at the centre of the Mafia scandal enveloping Victorian opposition leader Matthew Guy was today forced to quit his party roles.

Barrie Macmillan was told to quit his role as secretary of the party’s Dunkley Federal Electoral Conference and as vice chairman of the party’s Hastings State Electoral Conference.

Both positions are senior within the party’s local organisational structure and his resignations underpin the fallout from the scandal where Mr Guy attended a dinner in

April with alleged mafia boss Tony Madaferri.

Mr Macmillan was secretly recorded detailing key facts surrounding the dinner and is alleged to have discussed raising cash for the party with the group of Italian market gardeners.

The message was delivered to Mr macmillan by Victorian Liberal director Simon Frost and came after Mr Guy distanced himself from Mr Macmillan.

Barrie Macmillan arrives at his home in Somerville, Melbourne today. Picture: David Geraght

Transcripts pile pressure on Guy

Pressure is mounting on Victorian opposition leader Matthew Guy over his dinner with Melbourne businessman Tony Madafferi following claims guests around the table had a secret plan to donate to the Liberal Party.

The state Liberal leader this morning again rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing following the release of transcripts which indicate that a Liberal Party member brought Mr Guy to Melbourne’s Lobster Cave to meet with potential donors.

Mr Guy is facing claims that his “credibility is in tatters” and has been branded “Mafia Guy” because Mr Madafferi, who is alleged to have links with the Calabrian Mafia, also attended the dinner.

Mr Guy is adamant that he never solicited any donations from Mr Madafferi or other guests at the dinner, which he says he attended at the request of long-time Liberal Party supporter Frank Lamattina who wanted him to meet his relatives to discuss issues at Melbourne Markets.

Transcripts released this morning in The Age indicate that Liberal Party member Barrie Macmillan arranged the dinner and invited Mr Guy as part of a secret plan to secure donations from Mr Madafferi and three of his relatives.

In printed excerpts, he is recorded as saying: “They want to give Matthew a substantial donation towards next year” adding that “You can’t associate Matthew with money and I would have to be the intermediary.”

A discussion is also alleged to have taken place in which Mr Macmillan considered splitting the donation into smaller payments in a bid to avoid the scrutiny of the Australian Electoral Commission.

Mr Guy this morning again rejected suggestions he had been aware that Mr Lamattina’s relatives including Mr Madafferi were shaping up as party donors, and maintained he had no knowledge of who was attending the dinner.

“You’ll have to ask the people involved in the conversations because as I said, no donations have been forthcoming to the party,” Mr Guy said outside the doors of parliament this morning.

“And if one individual … has sought to solicit something or get something then well, that’s up to him to answer.”

Victorian Liberal Party president Michael Kroger has also been brought into the fray, with the report in The Age suggesting that the party boss knew of the Lobster Cave dinner.

He is also recorded in the transcript telling Mr Macmillan “don’t associate Matthew [Guy] directly with a paper bag full of money.”

Mr Kroger this morning rejected claims that any wrongdoing had occurred, adding that he “didn’t think” the party had accepted any donations in the past from anyone at the table.

Pressed on whether he advised Mr Macmillan to keep Mr Guy away from “a paper bag full of money”, he said: “I don’t recall saying that but if it’s on the tape I probably did.”

He described Mr Macmillan as a “A good fellow, he’s been around a long time, he’s a very well meaning bloke … he gets a bit enthusiastic about things sometimes.”

The revelations which hit in the first sitting week since parliament resumed after the winter break have also undermined the credibility of Mr Guy’s tough-on-crime approach to politics.

Mr Guy said he would contact Mr Kroger today to discuss Mr Macmillan’s position in the party.

“It was not a donations dinner ... Mr Macmillan can say whatever he likes. I was there. I went there,” Mr Guy said.

Facing mounting pressure, Mr Guy yesterday referred himself and The Age to the state’s anti-corruption watchdog in a bid to find the source of the leaked transcripts, and to prove he has done nothing wrong.

“So confident am I of my conduct in this matter — the fact that I sought or asked for no political donations, the fact that I went along to a meeting to discuss the matters which I outlined to the media this morning — I would like to myself refer this matter to have it fully investigated,” Mr Guy said.

“I believe that will clear up any matters in relation to probity that some have asked or insinuated around today.”

Mr Kroger stood by Mr Guy and said that he “absolutely” had every chance of retaining his leadership in spite of the escalating scandal.

“He’s a very honest person, and no one refers himself to IBAC if he’s got anything to hide,” Mr Kroger said.

In a lengthy press conference yesterday afternoon, Mr Guy said he had had little contact with Mr Macmillan and had only met the party supporter — who is also Dunkley Federal Electoral Council secretary — once or twice.

He said he had no idea why Mr Macmillan’s phone calls were being recorded, and that his concerns over the surveillance and reasons behind it were other factors prompting his decision to refer the issue to IBAC.