Labor linked to Ted Baillieu leaks

VICTORIAN ALP figures are at the centre of allegations they intercepted and distributed a conversation between Ted Baillieu and a journalist.

SENIOR figures in Victorian Labor leader Daniel Andrews’s opposition are at the centre of explosive allegations they intercepted and distributed an unauthorised recording of a conversation between former premier Ted Baillieu and a Fairfax journalist.

The Australian understands Labor figures have been linked to passing on information from the recording, which Fairfax Media claims was stolen. However, The Australian has been told the recorder simply was lost and was found by a security guard.

It is believed police understand the recorder was then improperly interfered with and the information, which detailed a bitter attack by Mr Baillieu against several of his colleagues, was widely leaked.

The Australian believes the recorder was lost by the reporter at the ALP state conference at the Moonee Valley Racecourse in May and that security footage scrutinised by police is understood to show an individual close to, or picking up, the recorder.

There is no suggestion Mr Andrews was aware of wrong­doing by any Labor member.

Victorian ALP secretary Noah Carroll last night denied Labor involvement: “The Victorian ALP categorically rejects any suggestion that it was involved in the theft of any Dictaphone or the distribution of the contents of any Dictaphone.’’

If it is proven Labor or anyone close to Mr Andrews was directly involved in disseminating the ­recording without the reporter’s approval it could have disastrous consequences for Mr Andrews ahead of the November 29 poll.

The recording was sent last month to hundreds of Liberal Party email addresses, prompting senior Liberals to lash out at “rats” within the Liberal ranks.

The Baillieu conversation was at the time of a heated preselection battle and was an unauthorised recording of what was meant to be an off-the-­record discussion. In it, Mr Baillieu stridently criticised several colleagues and The Australian, alleging a party conspiracy was behind the fallout over the preselection ballot that cost minister Mary Wooldridge her chance to remain in the lower house.