Victorian Libs accuse Labor of spying on Baillieu

Victoria is destined for an increasingly grubby state election after the Liberals accused Labor of spying on its headquarters.

Victoria is destined for an increasingly grubby state election after the Liberals accused Labor of spying on its headquarters.

On a day when smear, innuendo and allegations flew from both sides, the opposition alleged Labor tried to get access to the visitors' log of leader Ted Baillieu's Melbourne office through Freedom of Information laws.

They also claim Labor has been taking photographs of visitors and watching who comes in and out of the Spring Street office.

The document request, lodged in July, sought the security visitor log from November 2006 to May this year but was rejected on the grounds it may "compromise the physical safety and security of both the visitors and the occupants" of the Coalition office.

The request asked for all log details, including "who they are meeting, what time they signed in and what time they signed out".

The Department of Treasury and Finance alerted the opposition to the request but refused to reveal the applicant. The government said Mr Baillieu's claims were "lies" and denied it was behind the FOI request but could not say who had made it -- or whether it was a member of the Labor Party -- as it was bound by law not to disclose FOI applicants.

The government also claims it has been the target of FOI requests to access Premier John Brumby's diary and visitors' log.

But Mr Baillieu and opposition legal affairs spokesman Robert Clark laid the blame for the FOI request squarely on Labor, saying the government had a "dirt unit".

"This has become standard conduct for a bunch of political thugs and this is being run out of the government's, the Premier's, office," Mr Baillieu said yesterday.

Mr Clark said the "dirt unit" and other Labor activities were an "outrageous use" of taxpayer funds.

"There has been an attempt made by the Labor Party to obtain access to the security register that records the persons who enter and leave the Leader of the Opposition's offices," he said.

"We also believe that there have been people posted from time to time outside our leader's offices . . . to take note of, and even take photographs of, people entering and leaving. We believe this is an outrageous use of taxpayer funds.

"The real question is why is the Brumby government trying to get hold of documents that relate to who comes and goes from the Leader of the Opposition's offices?"

Attorney-General Rob Hulls said Mr Baillieu was "crying like a baby" at the thought of the government scrutinising the Coalition.

"What a big sook Ted Baillieu is. You're in politics -- guess what, you get scrutinised.

"You don't run off like a cry-baby and say there are dirt units all over the place."

Treasurer John Lenders released his costings on the opposition's policies yesterday -- seven weeks out from the November 27 election.

He said Mr Baillieu was weak, would put the state in deficit and has "never had to budget for anything in his life".

He was later forced to defend his criticism, saying it was not a personal attack on Mr Baillieu's wealth.