But the business partners of the company’s owner, David Gooley, allege his “thousand dollar a day” drug habit and a $70,000 cash loan from Russian friends are also to blame. Mr Gooley said the claims are "a rather brutal and personal public flogging" and that Hamilton Murphy’s report is "all bulls---". David Gooley (right) with Victorian Industry and Employment Minister Ben Carroll (left). Credit:Latrobe Valley Express “I have been stolen from and lied about,” he said. “I don't come out of this good. I have admitted to personal vices and things in my personal life that have ultimately cost me.” Described as a “salesman” with a “colourful lifestyle” the 41-year-old, British-born jail builder spent a $400,000 grant from the Victorian Government intended to hire new workers to pay off company debt from April 2018.

The improved balance sheet allowed him to continue Parliament's security overhaul, which began in January 2018, but signs it was going off the rails emerged within months when it was found a quarter of Steelvision's work was defective and it was failing to pay suppliers. The company was one of many sub-contracted by Lend Lease for the $75 million rebuild of Parliament's entrances in November 2017. Steelvision's contract was to construct and install blast-proof doors at the entrances. One of Mr Gooley's employees, 26-year-old Ben Hughes, said he personally paid up to $8000 for nuts and bolts and other materials needed to secure the doors at Parliament House. In May, Mr Gooley said he went to the Ukraine on a three-day, alcohol-fuelled “bender” for the UEFA Champions League grand final after he found out a friend had cancer. In less than a month, the auditors would find the company was likely to be trading while insolvent.

Disturbed by the lack of progress, chief contractor Lend Lease delayed paying a $2 million invoice, causing Steelvision to default further on payments to contractors. Letters from the office of Veterans Affairs Minister Darren Chester show he pleaded with Parliamentary Services and head contractor Lend Lease to pay the business, which is based in his electorate of Gippsland. “Gents, See below - for your eyes only but nice to see we have higher powers,” Mr Gooley said in a letter to his employees. Mr Chester said he was not aware of its financial issues at the time of his intervention. By September, the company could not afford to pay its rent in Canberra, emails from its real-estate agent show.

Minister for Veterans Affairs Darren Chester. Credit:Elesa Kurtz “Once the roller coaster started it never stopped,” said one former manager, who blames Lend Lease's delays for the company's demise. Lend Lease declined to comment. Mr Gooley took control of the company’s bank accounts along with accounts of another associated entity shared with his business partners Steve and Jennifer Mowett, according to the account records. Up to $3000 a week was transferred to another company run by Mr Gooley and his defacto partner, VAMV investments. Mr Gooley said it was to pay his wages. With debts mounting, Mr Gooley turned to Russian friends, a former business partner said, who asked to remain anonymous. “When they ask for their money back, they will only ask you once,” they said.

Security specialist Steve Mowett at Parliament House in Canberra. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen In exchange for a $70,000 cash loan with an annual interest rate of up to 72 per cent, Mr Gooley said he pledged equity in his other fledgling business, Bonnet Locker, a network of lockers installed above car bonnets in high-rise CBD parking lots. Mr Gooley said he took out four similar high-interest cash loans from “reputable companies” in a two month period to cover employee wages in December. He also started pitching to business colleagues a local version of an Uber-style service “Boober”, which would market itself at drivers and sex workers, associates said. Mr Gooley said he "could not recall the business but might be wrong. I’m sure there is a market for it."

Mr Mowett alleged that Mr Gooley indulged in “prostitutes and a massive amount of drugs”. He described Mr Gooley as a “thousand dollar a day man”. “I would party with him. I'm not denying that. He rocked up to the office or meetings with a CFO trying to get white powder off his pants.” Mr Gooley said he was "no saint". “I did it on occasion but certainly not at work," he said. "Do you really think I could run a business as big as Steelvision like that?” In a bid to make up some of what was owed, Mr Gooley arrived at an employee's house with a plastic bag full of cash and two associates carrying bags of cocaine. Most employees and contractors said they went without pay over Christmas.

Jennifer Mowett is one of hundreds of creditors. Credit:Paul Jeffers Jennifer Mowett, the company’s former bookkeeper, estimates the family is $300,000 out of pocket after paying for contractors themselves. “I just made it back to Brisbane from Canberra with the fuel and the money we had,” said Mr Mowett. The government and Lend Lease formally axed Steelvision from the project in January 2019. On Wednesday, Hamilton Murphy applied to have the company liquidated. Mr Gooley sent texts to creditors to vote against the move. “Vote postpone or return to my control, they won’t recover you one cent,” he said.

Taxpayers will now have to pay an extra $1.5 million for a project that will end 15 months overdue.