Victorian election: top Lib attacks John Howard’s new role at Cormack Foundation

A savage email from Victorian Liberal Party treasurer David Mond has sparked a call for unity from Matthew Guy.

Former PM John Howard. Picture: Dylan Robinson

The Victorian Liberal Party treasurer has savaged the $70 million Cormack Foundation peace deal as “one of the most spectacular surrender concessions in human history’’, and questioned John Howard’s merits as a board member because he is from Sydney.

State treasurer David Mond stunned the party with an email ­attack on the Cormack deal, questioning the former prime minister’s status as a new board member and declaring the entire agreement unprofessional.

He also warned that the agreement had no “substantive legal force’’ and “the whole document may well be void for certainty’’.

The Mond email sparked an appeal for unity and discipline from state leader Matthew Guy, who told party office-bearers on Wednesday night to stop writing and leaking incendiary emails, letter­s and political musings.

Mr Mond said while Mr Howard had a rich Liberal history, he was from NSW and not the Victoria­n division. He also said federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg should not have been the party’s chief negotiator for the new deal.

Mr Mond, who is not an MP, warned that the party was heading into member-free oblivion without a sharp shift in strategy and dismissed as “shameful’’ the party failing to reach an earlier agreement between the warring groups.

“This so-called agreement must be one of the most spectacular surrender concessions in human history,’’ he said.

“The agreement, in my opinion, has no substantive legal force. As a result, and looking collect­ively at all the terms of settlement, given the intent, the whole document may well be void for uncertainty.’’

The email sent late on Wednesday also savages as unprofessional the deal struck between the party and Cormack, which is the Liberals’ biggest state and federa­l donor.

Cormack and the Victorian Liberal Party have been at loggerheads over who owns the $70m fund, striking a deal last week to end the dispute, which was starving the party of money.

But Mr Mond insisted: “In the end, taken as a whole, the so-called agreement is in my considered opinion drawn in haste and as a ­result is an unprofessional and poorly drafted document.

“It is thus a portent for possible conflict and generally an uncertain future.’’

The Australian was told that Mr Mond had gone overseas and was unavailable for comment.

It is the second incendiary email he has sent this week to ­senior party officials and there is ­expected to be a push to have him removed as the party’s treasurer.

The Liberal Party last month ended a long-running dispute with Cormack after Mr Frydenberg’s intervention.

Mr Mond claims that he had met with Cormack much earlier and had been in a position to strike a deal, and he attacked the appointment of Mr Howard as a Cormack trustee.

“And with regard to Mr John Howard, Michael (Kroger) said he picked him because next to ­(Robert) Menzies, he is the most significant Liberal in the history of the party,’’ Mr Mond wrote.

“That certainly is not in dispute, but the proper question to ask is whether Mr Howard’s selection objectively fits the job description.

“For example, Mr Howard is not a Victorian and this is a (Victoria­n Liberal Party) matter.’’

Victorian Liberal president ­Michael Kroger announced last week that the stoush between the party and Cormack had ended.

This would deliver the party $3m for next year’s federal election, $3m for the following federal poll and $2.5m for Victorian ­Liberal leader Matthew Guy to contest the November 24 Victorian election.

Under the deal, the groups agreed there would be no further litigation.

But the dispute with Cormack has become a lightning rod for dissatisfacti­on among opposing groups in the party, particularly those that are trying to undermine Mr Kroger.