FORMER police minister Michael Gallacher and Port Stephens MP Craig Baumann have been implicated in a scheme to have developers illegally fund the 2011 election campaign of disgraced former MP Tim Owen. Mr Owen’s then campaign manager Hugh Thomson has given evidence to ICAC that Mr Gallacher told him that Nathan Tinkler’s company Buildev and major Newcastle property developer and Lord Mayor Jeff McCloy would be contributing to the campaign. Mr Thomson alleged that Mr Gallacher had “orchestrated” an arrangement in which illegal donations came from Buildev. It is illegal for property developers to fund NSW election campaigns. Mr Gallacher is on the crossbench having been sacked from cabinet in May after allegations were first raised about him at ICAC. Mr Baumann is a Liberal MP and has not previously been implicated in the scandal. In a statement tendered to ICAC, Mr Thomson said he had a conversation with Mr Gallacher before Mr Owen was preselected about securing funding — including an alleged $120,000 from Mr Tinkler. Mr Thomson said he had a conversation with Mr Gallacher where it was clear “there was already support for Mr Owen and he would be able to receive more funding, but there was already a $120,000 commitment,” Mr Thomson said. In a text from Mr Thomson to Mr Gallacher on 13 December 2010, he wrote: “How’s our big man going with the $120K?” In his statement, Mr Thomson said in reference to this text: “At the time I was not sure who the big man was but I suspected the big man was Nathan Tinkler, to some extent, this was common parlance for Nathan Tinkler as he was both literally and metaphorically a big man. I know the donor was either called the ‘big man’ or the ‘big fish’.” “I believe I first became aware from Mike Gallacher that there was a large donor who was going to contribute to the Newcastle campaign,” Mr Thomson said in his statement. Mr Thomson told ICAC today he believes it was Mr Gallacher or Mr Baumann who organised the commitment from Buildev. Counsel Assisting the inquiry Geoffrey Watson SC asked Mr Thomson “who built the bridge” between Mr Owen’s campaign and Buildev. “Mr Baumann and to some extent Mr Gallacher,” Mr Thomson answered, saying he was called to a meeting with Mr Baumann and Buildev bosses Darren Williams and David Sharpe. In Mr Thomson’s statement, he said he had contact Mr Gallacher after the election in order to get his help in obtaining illegal donations from Buildev. “I attempted to have a conversation with Mike Gallacher about the outstanding invoices and I asked him to assist in following up on Buildev to pay the money they had promised for their campaign,” Mr Thomson said. “This may only have been a voicemail (to) Mike however I cannot recall specifics on whether Mike Gallacher rang me back but the invoices were paid.” Mr Thomson told ICAC today he was sure Mr Gallacher was involved in securing donations from Buildev, a developer company owned by Nathan Tinkler and they had several conversations about it. “I know Mr Gallacher had a very strong relationship with Buildev. “I had no uncertainty in my (mind) Mr Gallacher was (aware) of the details.” “Prior to the (2011 election) I understand him to be the man orchestrating the arrangement.” Mr Thomson said in his statement that Mr Baumann had told him the payment for campaign worker Josh Hodges, which ICAC has heard was made by developers, “it would be taken care of’.” “I understand the [developers] Saddington donation Tim Owen had [secured]. Buildev — Baumann had facilitated,” Mr Thomson said on the stand. In Mr Thomson’s statement, he said he received two $10,000 payments in cash from developers Mr McCloy, and developer Hilton Grugeon for Mr Owen’s campaign. Mr Owen and former Charlestown liberal MP Andrew Cornwell have previously given evidence they each received $10,000 in cash from Mr McCloy in an envelope. Mr Owen and Mr Cornwell resigned from parliament yesterday after the ICAC revelations. news.au/national/nsw-act/former-police-minister-michael-gallacher-orchestrated-illegal-donations-arrangement-icac-hears/story-fnii5s3x-1227022799798
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 09:48:29 +0000
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