“I don’t accept it at all. Nobody has called me about it and I don’t think they will,” Guy told reporters.
Asked if he would step aside for the sake of the party if the controversy escalated with further revelations, he said: “I think I will go back to my office and work.”
“We have 110 days to do it [ensure] the most corrupt government in its history is being shown the door.”
Guy is expected to announce a new chief of staff within days, with former Liberal federal staffer Brad Stansfield joining the field of potential candidates after former Liberal campaigner Simon Frost ruled himself out of contention .
Stansfield, a former chief of staff to Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman, previously worked for Tasmanian Senator Eric Abetz and most recently Federal Finance Minister Matthias Cormann.
Emboldened by two recent reports from integrity agencies into the conduct of Labor MPs and staff, the Coalition had planned to hammer the government on integrity issues in the four months leading up to the election.
But those plans were derailed when The Age revealed a leaked message from Catlin on Guy’s private Hotmail email account, along with a contract the chief of staff had drawn up by his lawyers.
The email detailed Catlin’s proposal for Munz, a wealthy horse racing identity, to pay $8,333 a month to his private marketing firm, Catchy Media Marketing and Management, for services as a contractor. The services were to be described as “supporting business interests”.
“Hello MG. Attached is the proposed agreement between [the donor] and Marketing and Sticky Media Management,” Catlin wrote to Guy. “It’s per the original email agreement between you and me. Can I let you send it?”
Catlin resigned within hours of the story becoming public and has not spoken publicly since. Guy has asked questions, but has not given any answers about the details of the plan that was proposed, how it came about, or why it never came.
The government seized on the opposition leader’s problems, referring him and his party to a number of law enforcement and integrity agencies over the matter. Victoria Police, the state’s electoral commission, the ombudsman, the independent broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission and the Australian Federal Police were among those alerted. These organizations have confirmed that they have each received the complaint from Labour, but, for now, none has opened an investigation.
Labor says Guy’s position as Liberal leader is “compromised” and should be “held at a high standard”.
“Matthew Guy is standing as the alternative Premier of the state of Victoria,” Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy Jaala Pulford said on Friday.
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“It certainly seems to me that he’s engaged and those are things that he needs to respond to, and if he doesn’t, maybe those are things that his colleagues need to respond to.”
Guy has so far refused to answer detailed questions about the proposed scheme, defending himself by arguing that the contract was never signed and did not go ahead.
Faced with such scrutiny, Guy tried to bring attention back to the government when the media barricaded the door on Friday.
“[The media] it should be more focused on the Prime Minister’s leadership. The Prime Minister leads the most corrupt government in Victoria’s history. We have 110 days to make sure that the state knows that the most corrupt government in its history has the door,” he said.
Guy has been Liberal leader for the past 10 months after ousting Michael O’Brien last September. He previously held the position for four years from 2014, but resigned from the job to O’Brien, following a resounding loss in the 2018 election.
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