By Heath Aston
Glenn Druery, the so-called ''preference whisperer'' who engineered the rise of Senate micro-parties, was one of the biggest financial winners of the election.
Fairfax Media has learnt Mr Druery has picked up handsome pay cheques for his ''political consultancy'' services to three parties across three states - even though none of his own clients were elected through his preference swap web.
Glenn Druery: Financial winner.Credit: James Alcock
They are the Shooters and Fishers Party in NSW, Family First in Victoria, and the Australian Fishing and Lifestyle Party in Queensland. Sources in NSW said the Shooters Party had forked out close to $100,000 for Mr Druery to lead its preference negotiations.
Mr Druery has been seen working from the State Parliament offices of the Shooters upper house members Robert Borsak and Robert Brown this week.
He said the election-related takings for his consultancy Independent Liaison were ''nothing like'' the $300,000 being suggested within the ''micro-party alliance''.
''I wish,'' he said. ''If someone wants to pay me $100,000, I'm available. It's just not the case.''
A Shooters staffer denied Mr Druery was still being paid but in a newsletter, Shooting the Breeze & Fishing for Facts, the party said it was gearing up to challenge for a seat at the upcoming South Australian state election. Mr Druery was engaged by the party before the West Australian election in which it got a candidate, Rick Mazza, elected to the upper house.
The Fishing and Lifestyle Party confirmed it had paid Mr Druery to orchestrate preferences but said a figure would not be disclosed until required under election funding laws.
Talk about Mr Druery's election windfall have flared as members of the ''micro-party alliance'' he put together openly wonder why parties such as Ricky Muir's Motoring Enthusiast Party came out on top over others, including Mr Druery's Victorian client, Family First. He said it was due to a mix of beginner's luck and parties such as One Nation and Bob Katter's Australia Party backing out of preference deals.
''Part of the reason for the success of the Motoring Enthusiasts and the Sports Party [in Western Australia] is that no one saw them coming. They snuck through the cracks. They were not seen as a threat, they were seen as 'freshies','' Mr Druery said.
Both parties benefited from being placed high on preference lists of other alliance members because they were not viewed as a threat.