Victoria's upper house (Legislative Council) has the power to approve and block legislation. Minor parties in the upper house have played a crucial deciding role in passing state legislation, including this year's donations reform. Mr Druery is renowned for his ability to make or break aspiring minor party MPs through vote “harvesting”, whereby he gathers together minor parties and controls preferences flows within the group. The political strategist is understood to have been key to the election in 2014 of two upper house candidates for the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party. Ms Patten told The Age that in preference discussions, Mr Druery asked her team for a $5000 “upfront” fee to join his “family” of minor parties and a success fee of $50,000 for each candidate elected. Self-styled preference whisperer Glenn Druery Credit:Andrew Meares

Such votes may prove crucial to Ms Patten’s own bid for re-election for her vulnerable Northern Metropolitan Region upper house seat, which she won with assistance from Mr Druery in 2014. Mr Druery was paid $20,000 to work on preferences for Ms Patten in 2014. The Reason Party will run other candidates in both the upper and lower houses. Ms Patten says she has raised concerns with Senator Hinch about Mr Druery. “I was concerned I could not negotiate preferences with a like-minded party like Senator Hinch’s, unless I pay a staff member of his,” she said. “I was being asked to pay to be signed up with Glenn Druery’s network and to be completely compliant to him.”

Reason Party MP Fiona Patten Credit:Wayne Taylor Ms Patten said Senator Hinch told her he did not know about his adviser asking for money and that he would speak to Mr Druery. In the complaint lodged with the electoral commission, the Reason Party has questioned whether Mr Druery’s activities were at odds with state laws, including the Victorian Electoral Act. The Age understands Mr Druery is in the late stages of negotiations with a string of minor parties ahead of the formal lodging of group tickets for the poll. On Wednesday, Senator Hinch confirmed that when approached, he would refer other minor parties to Mr Druery "because he is the expert".

Despite the fact that Mr Druery charged money for his services, Senator Hinch did not believe there was a conflict of interest. Senator Hinch said he did not see a conflict of interest in Glenn Druery's roles. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen He said he believed Mr Druery kept his business dealings separate from his taxpayer-funded work as an adviser. Mr Druery has been approached for comment. Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party MP Jeff Bourman, confirmed his party was “definitely dealing” with Mr Druery.

“Everyone in minor party land talks to Mr Druery. If they say they’re not, they’re not being upfront.” But Mr Bourman would not disclose if his party had or would pay Mr Druery or how much. Transport Matters party co-founder Rod Barton confirmed his party had been in discussions with Mr Druery. Mr Barton said he had “no doubt there would be a fee” if they worked with Mr Druery. Aussie Battler Party candidate Stuart O’Neill said he had spoken to Druery but not done a deal or discussed paying him. “That would send us running.”

Animal Justice Party met with Druery but decided against doing a deal. Democratic Labour Party (DLP) federal secretary Stephen Campbell confirmed he had met with other minor parties and Mr Druery but that no deal was struck. “The DLP does preference deals with other parties on an open and honest basis but we don’t believe payment should be involved. We think it tarnishes the democratic process,” he said. Mr Druery, from Sydney, has run a lucrative - if occasional - preference gaming business at state and federal elections since the late 1990s.

He worked briefly for Motoring Enthusiast Senator Ricky Muir before being sacked in 2014. His role has been controversial, notably during the 2017 Western Australian election when he used his business card as a Commonwealth-paid adviser to Senator Hinch while working preference deals for WA election candidates. Do you know more? Contact us securely via Journotips