Helen Kroger (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Just as a matter of clarification, I am making some observations on the report that was brought down by the Privileges Committee. Mr Wood's efforts to buy the Triabunna woodchip mill in mid-2011 is something, it was claimed, which could not possibly have been foreseeable at the time of his donation. This is absolutely false. My submission clearly stated that the $1.6 million was negotiated in May 2010 and that this funded the Greens ad campaign at the 2010 election. I did not submit that this negotiation was some incredibly prescient bribe but rather an arrangement which led Senator Brown to advance Mr Wood's commercial interest when the Triabunna purchase arose. In terms of Privilege Resolution 63, it was an arrangement which had the effect of controlling Senator Brown's independence. In short, it was a significant, personally negotiated donation, indeed, the biggest ever in Australia's history and by his own words, Senator Brown said—