Bosses pay to meet Brumby
By Royce Millar | theage.com.au | 06 August
EXCLUSIVE
Premier John Brumby and his ministers are under pressure to withdraw from an ALP fund-raising forum tomorrow at which they are expected to meet privately with companies in return for party donations.
Contrary to Mr Brumby's repeated claim this week that access to ministers could not be bought, The Age can reveal that such access is a key and routine part of Labor fund-raising.
The private sessions are the main drawcard to the annual business forums organised by Labor fund-raising arm, Progressive Business. This year's forum is scheduled for tomorrow, and both ALP sources and corporate donors confirmed Mr Brumby and ministers have been promoted as available for one-on-one meetings.
This week Mr Brumby refused to follow Queensland Premier Anna Bligh in banning ministers from attending fund-raisers. He claimed Victoria did not need such drastic action because, unlike Queensland, business could not buy time with his ministers.
"There is no payment for access," he said. "We don't have that in our state. We never have."
The Queensland Labor Government is struggling to contain fallout over corruption scandals, including the jailing of former Beattie government minister, Gordon Nuttall. Melbourne University govern-ance expert, Joo-Cheong Tham, last night called on Premier Brumby to stop selling briefings and to ban his ministers from attending fund-raisers, including tomorrow's forum.
"'The Premier should follow the example set by Anna Bligh and not allow his ministers to be involved [on Friday], at the very least, because of the perception of a conflict of interest."
One high-ranking corporate figure has briefed The Age about past Progressive Business forums where, for $5000, his company had private meetings with new Premier Brumby and ministers at the Aitken Hill conference centre in 2007. Senior ALP sources have confirmed that the same amount was charged for companies to meet the Premier and ministers in 2008.
The Age understands this Friday's forum will also cost $5000.
Progressive Business ran a similar corporate forum for companies involved in infrastructure such as transport, roads, ports and housing, at the Intercontinental Hotel in April. Promotional material for the forum specifically advertised "one-on-one briefings" and "private appointments" with ministers.
Promoted to the infrastructure industry as a forum "not to be missed", the brochure noted that briefings would allow the Government to "build a deep understanding of the capabilities and and aspirations of infrastructure providers".
Last night the Premier's office refused to confirm whether Mr Brumby would hold his usual private briefings at tomorrow's forum. His media office would only confirm that he would be speaking at a lunchtime gathering there.
"The Premier and ministers regularly meet with a range of business and community groups throughout the year, and every meeting — in every context — is governed by strict probity guidelines," said spokeswoman Fiona Macrae.
On Tuesday The Age sent a list of questions for ministers about their views on party fund- raising. The media office refused to provide answers to those questions. While companies that attend the fund-raising forums get lunch and general briefings about Government policy, attendees confirmed to The Age that the private sessions with Mr Brumby and other ministers were the real attraction.
Mr Brumby said this week that he and ministers often talked to business figures at functions that were not paid for. Yesterday, he said: "There are an enormous number of functions which ministers undertake, and which I undertake, which people don't pay to attend. "I mean, I do boardroom lunches all the time. No one pays to attend them People don't pay to meet me in my office."
One Labor insider said that because of its substantial investment portfolio, Labor in Queensland was in a better financial position than in Victoria. Banning ministers from fund-raisers would have a much greater impact on party coffers in Victoria.
The Age sought comment from Progressive Business president Phil Staindl but was referred to ALP state secretary Stephen Newnham. He confirmed the annual business forums were "run on the same principles" as business briefings at the ALP national conference last week, where ministers met in private with donor companies.
This week Mr Brumby reiterated his view that political donations from individuals or companies were part of a healthy democracy, provided there was accountability and disclosure.
First published by TheAge.com.au on August 06 2009
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