Latest news with #CentreforPublicIntegrity
Sydney Morning Herald
15 hours ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
This developer wants to keep Pesutto on a leash. What's worse, Liberals are entertaining the idea
'The offer appears to be an attempt through a substantial financial inducement to adversely affect the honest performance by a member of the Victorian parliament of his functions in determining what parliamentary position to hold,' Tham told this column. Barrister Geoffrey Watson, SC, a director of the Centre for Public Integrity, describes it as an affront to democracy. 'It would be a threat hanging over his [Pesutto's] head for the entire time he sits in parliament,' he says. 'It's absolutely and utterly disgusting.' Deeming says her conscience is clear and the offer to Pesutto was part of a genuine attempt to settle the matter in the best interest of all parties. There is no suggestion here that Deeming or Grugeon, or Battin for that matter, are corrupt in the ordinary meaning of the word. Neither have sought financial gain from this mess. Their offer is deeply troubling, nonetheless. So too is the gormless misjudgment Battin showed by passing it on. Grugeon is better known in NSW, where he is chairman of Hunter Land, a company that develops regional residential and business estates. He is also well known to NSW's anti-corruption agency, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, due to his past habit of making political donations in breach of the state's election funding laws. Grugeon has been helpful to journalists reporting on the Pesutto-Deeming troubles, owing to his willingness to answer the phone and give a quotable quote. When Watson examined Grugeon as counsel assisting for ICAC as part of an investigation into illicit donations by Grugeon and other property developers to Liberal Party figures, he found him less forthcoming. 'He was not an impressive witness,' ICAC noted in its 2016 published findings of Operation Spicer. Grugeon's name appears more than 121 times in the ICAC report, which found he twice attempted to evade the state's ban against property developers making political donations. One involved a $10,000 cash payment to an MP funnelled through a friendly radio jock and concealed as services rendered. The second involved Grugeon buying a painting from an MP's wife for $10,120, where the artist's work usually sold for under $300. Grugeon denied the allegations and ICAC made no corruption findings against him. The MPs were forced to quit parliament. So what was Brad Battin thinking when he passed on to Pesutto an offer that would put one of his MPs in Grugeon's deep pockets? To borrow a line from Succession patriarch Logan Roy, if the Liberals can't see a problem here, you are not serious people. This column questioned Battin about the role he played in facilitating negotiations between Deeming and Pesutto and whether he passed on communications to Pesutto containing Grugeon's offer of a $1 million loan. Battin declined to publicly discuss his communications with colleagues but said he had never spoken to Grugeon. Two sources not authorised to discuss internal party matters confirmed that Battin sent Pesutto a text message with the offer. Pesutto says he rejected it out of hand and ceased negotiations with Deeming. Battin and the 18 other members of the administrative committee which serves as the Victorian Liberal Party's governing body will on Thursday meet at the party's city headquarters to consider a more sensible proposal. This one, to be presented by Pesutto at the meeting with the support of party president Philip Davis and other office bearers, is for a party entity to lend him at a commercial rate the money he needs to meet his costs order by the court's June 27 deadline – meaning he avoids bankruptcy and retains his marginal seat of Hawthorn. Loading Deeming and her self-described confidante, broadcaster Peta Credlin, have made clear their objections to using party money to help Pesutto. Seven members of the administrative committee are thought to be vehemently opposed. Whatever the outcome of Thursday night's vote, the concerns raised by Tham and Watson should also be dealt with. Tham believes the seriousness of the conduct involved – conduct concerning the highest political offices in the state – means it falls under IBAC's jurisdiction. 'Given the compelling public interest involved in this episode, the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission should launch an own-motion investigation,' he says.
The Age
15 hours ago
- Business
- The Age
This developer wants to keep Pesutto on a leash. What's worse, Liberals are entertaining the idea
'The offer appears to be an attempt through a substantial financial inducement to adversely affect the honest performance by a member of the Victorian parliament of his functions in determining what parliamentary position to hold,' Tham told this column. Barrister Geoffrey Watson, SC, a director of the Centre for Public Integrity, describes it as an affront to democracy. 'It would be a threat hanging over his [Pesutto's] head for the entire time he sits in parliament,' he says. 'It's absolutely and utterly disgusting.' Deeming says her conscience is clear and the offer to Pesutto was part of a genuine attempt to settle the matter in the best interest of all parties. There is no suggestion here that Deeming or Grugeon, or Battin for that matter, are corrupt in the ordinary meaning of the word. Neither have sought financial gain from this mess. Their offer is deeply troubling, nonetheless. So too is the gormless misjudgment Battin showed by passing it on. Grugeon is better known in NSW, where he is chairman of Hunter Land, a company that develops regional residential and business estates. He is also well known to NSW's anti-corruption agency, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, due to his past habit of making political donations in breach of the state's election funding laws. Grugeon has been helpful to journalists reporting on the Pesutto-Deeming troubles, owing to his willingness to answer the phone and give a quotable quote. When Watson examined Grugeon as counsel assisting for ICAC as part of an investigation into illicit donations by Grugeon and other property developers to Liberal Party figures, he found him less forthcoming. 'He was not an impressive witness,' ICAC noted in its 2016 published findings of Operation Spicer. Grugeon's name appears more than 121 times in the ICAC report, which found he twice attempted to evade the state's ban against property developers making political donations. One involved a $10,000 cash payment to an MP funnelled through a friendly radio jock and concealed as services rendered. The second involved Grugeon buying a painting from an MP's wife for $10,120, where the artist's work usually sold for under $300. Grugeon denied the allegations and ICAC made no corruption findings against him. The MPs were forced to quit parliament. So what was Brad Battin thinking when he passed on to Pesutto an offer that would put one of his MPs in Grugeon's deep pockets? To borrow a line from Succession patriarch Logan Roy, if the Liberals can't see a problem here, you are not serious people. This column questioned Battin about the role he played in facilitating negotiations between Deeming and Pesutto and whether he passed on communications to Pesutto containing Grugeon's offer of a $1 million loan. Battin declined to publicly discuss his communications with colleagues but said he had never spoken to Grugeon. Two sources not authorised to discuss internal party matters confirmed that Battin sent Pesutto a text message with the offer. Pesutto says he rejected it out of hand and ceased negotiations with Deeming. Battin and the 18 other members of the administrative committee which serves as the Victorian Liberal Party's governing body will on Thursday meet at the party's city headquarters to consider a more sensible proposal. This one, to be presented by Pesutto at the meeting with the support of party president Philip Davis and other office bearers, is for a party entity to lend him at a commercial rate the money he needs to meet his costs order by the court's June 27 deadline – meaning he avoids bankruptcy and retains his marginal seat of Hawthorn. Loading Deeming and her self-described confidante, broadcaster Peta Credlin, have made clear their objections to using party money to help Pesutto. Seven members of the administrative committee are thought to be vehemently opposed. Whatever the outcome of Thursday night's vote, the concerns raised by Tham and Watson should also be dealt with. Tham believes the seriousness of the conduct involved – conduct concerning the highest political offices in the state – means it falls under IBAC's jurisdiction. 'Given the compelling public interest involved in this episode, the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission should launch an own-motion investigation,' he says.
