Opposition Leader Matthew Guy Credit:AAP An earlier fundraiser in 2011 involved developer Bill McNee. In the lead-up to this fundraiser, developers were told that if they donated up to $20,000 to the Liberal Party, they could have direct access to Mr Guy to lobby him about their projects. The revelations come as Mr Guy continues to deal with the fall-out of his lobster dinner and donations scandal, involving his meeting earlier this year with an alleged mafia boss. The "lobster with an alleged mobster" affair was a catalyst for the Andrews government's announcement on Monday that it will overhaul Victoria's famously lax donations system to make it what the premier claims will be the toughest regime in Australia, capping donations at $4000 over a four-year term and introducing public funding of campaigning. Focus will now shift to whether the opposition and Greens will back Labor's plan, and if Mr Hodgett or Mr Guy breached any rules or laws when soliciting donations.

Deputy Opposition leader David Hodgett Credit:Daniel Pockett A Liberal party insider said emails from Mr Hodgett's office confirmed that the $10,000 was solicited from a developer for the "forum," which was in fact a meeting with Mr Guy. Mr Guy and two of his staff attended the meeting at a private residential penthouse with two developers in late 2013. The Liberal emails reveal that at the lunch, plans by the developer to progress an inner Melbourne development were discussed with Mr Guy. A planning official told Fairfax Media that Mr Guy's office subsequently communicated with the developer, but the 2014 election campaign began before it was determined whether the project met the conditions required for Mr Guy's intervention. Bill McNee Credit:ABCTV The donation request and receipt appear to have breached a code of conduct introduced by the Baillieu government in 2011 designed to prevent donations scandals and which banned ministers soliciting donations or placing donations of more than $500 into their electorate conference accounts.

Mr Hodgett's invoice may have also breached Victoria's Crimes Act. Matthew Guy (right) with developer Michael Yates in 2012 at the opening of an apartment project in South Yarra. Credit:Bird de la Couer architects Geoffrey Watson SC, who was previously counsel assisting the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption's inquiry into political donations, said: "To misdescribe it as sponsorship of an industry forum rather than what it really is – a donation solicited in return for private access to a minister –creates a suspicion of an improper purpose." "It seems it could to be characterised as false accounting," Mr Watson said, referring the Victorian crime of producing an invoice knowing it may be misleading. Captain Peter Janson. Credit:Joe Armao

On Monday, Mr Hodgett insisted the private lunch was an "industry forum" but declined to answer specific questions about what was discussed at the lunch, who attended, what happened to the $10,000 payment, or the invoice issued. "The industry forums are exactly the same as Labor's fundraising body, Progressive Business, which aims to connect business with the government or opposition and provide a platform for industry ideas to be heard and the opportunity to contribute to policy agendas," he said. Illustration: Ron Tandberg Mr Guy also insisted the lunch was above board, with his spokesman telling Fairfax Media: "In the time Daniel Andrews has been leader there have been countless invitations to industry forums hosted by Labor's fundraising body Progressive Business and at least 39 events in 2017 including a business forum just last week with the Premier, Tim Pallas and seven other ministers. "These forums are about connecting business with government or opposition and provide a platform for industry ideas to be heard and the opportunity to contribute to policy for better outcomes for Victoria and nothing more."

The penthouse lunch was not the only occasion in which Liberal Party fundraisers traded access to Mr Guy in return for large political donations. In 2011, Mr McNee, a controversial political donor and developer, and a small group of other developers were told that they could discuss stalled or ongoing developments with Mr Guy if they donated between $10,000 to $20,000 to attend a dinner at a Melbourne mansion. Mr McNee encouraged some of the developers to donate to the Liberal Party, but electorate records suggest that some of these donations were not disclosed to the electoral commission as required by law. Mr McNee is under investigation by the Australian Electoral Commission over allegations about a failure to declare his contribution of a plane to Pauline Hanson's One Nation party. He has previously been accused by a Victorian judge of deceptive conduct in a civil case involving a real estate deal. Multiple sources close to Mr McNee said he told the developers that in return for the donations, they would get to personally brief Mr Guy about their planning problems in the hope "something will be done about them".

The Brumby government was involved in similarly controversial donations-for-access scandals although current planning minister Richard Wynne is known for his reluctance to deal with developers, regardless of whether they donate. The Labor and Liberal parties have for years enticed developers, businesses or unions to donate by dangling the carrot of access to a minister at a fundraising lunch, dinner or boardroom event. But some of the events involving Mr Guy as planning minister appear to differ from this fundraising practice because they involve false invoicing or a failure to declare donations as required by law, along with an explicit promise from a middleman that a donation would secure privileged access with Mr Guy to discuss a specific project. In 2011, Mr McNee asked his friend, socialite Peter Janson, to help host Mr Guy and the developers at Janson's city mansion, Rutherglen House. Fairfax Media has previously reported aspects of this fundraising event, but Mr McNee's involvement in it, and his promise to provide privileged access to Mr Guy, has not before been revealed. In an interview about Mr McNee earlier this year – after the One Nation donations scandal erupted – Peter Janson confirmed he had hosted "a party" for "[Mr McNee's] building mates and a planning minister". In a colourful profile of Mr Janson's prowess as a networker in 2013, Mr Janson described hosting Mr Guy and Mr McNee at his house.

"If I can help cut the red tape and the blue tape and the yellow tape I'm happy to do it. I knew [Matthew Guy and the developers] were meeting here – a client asked if it would be all right and I let them use the large dining room – but I wasn't there and don't know what they were talking about." Fairfax Media has confirmed what was spoken about at Mr McNee's 2011 fundraiser. After drinks and discussion, the developers sat around a table with Mr Guy. Each had around 15 minutes to explain how they wanted Mr Guy's office to assist with their stalled planning projects. Mr Guy's adviser, Daniel Parsons, recorded the developer requests and his mobile number was then provided to the developers to allow them to follow up with their projects. Mr Parsons did not respond to requests to comment. Two of the developers at the event told Fairfax Media that members of Mr Guy's office indicated his office could assist them and were later angry when help was not afforded as indicated. McNee's company Vicland donated $150,000 to the Liberals between 2012 and 2014.

Mr McNee, who did not return phone calls, attended the Guy event with several other controversial developer donors, including Michael Yates. Mr Guy has previously faced criticism for making decisions as planning minister that benefited Liberal-aligned developers. Other developers at the event, however, later had their proposals knocked back by Mr Guy. Mr McNee helped arrange a second dinner at Rutherglen House with developers in 2012. This time, access to Mr Guy's presence was not traded via a donation. Instead, attendees were directed to pay $10,000 to become members of a Liberal Party marginal seats fundraising vehicle called Team 200, which gives members free access to political fundraising events. A little more than a year later, in November 2013, access to Mr Guy was again being traded for donations. In late November, Mr Hodgett, the then minister for ports, issued a $10,000 invoice to a developer to sponsor an "industry forum". The political staffers and the developer could not be reached for comment. Got a tip? Contact us securely on JournoTips