Matthew Guy has been caught out telling lie after lie after lie ahead of facing a censure motion in Parliament today.
In a train wreck interview with Neil Mitchell on 3AW, Matthew Guy told six blatant lies in 15 minutes.
Lie 1 - Political Motivations
NEIL MITCHELL: OK, well let’s drill into this one. Do you deny there was some political reasons behind your decision to pay $2.5 million dollars in compensation?
MATTHEW GUY: Yes.
FACT: “This may be winnable at law, but this is a political fight and it is unwinnable. We cannot win. It is political.” File Note, 19 July 2013
Lie 2 - On losing his job
NEIL MITCHELL: You were on the record as saying, ‘if this goes to court I won’t be in the job’. Did you believe it could cost you your job?
MATTHEW GUY: No.
FACT: “This can’t go to court. I shall not be in the job if it goes to court. I will not be in the job if we win.” File Note, 19 July 2013
Lie 3 - On Seal Rocks legal costs
MATTHEW GUY, 3AW: “Because up the road in Seal Rocks, …the court settlement was $60 million dollars.”
FACT: Matthew Guy’s Department advised him that the Seal Rocks case was not comparable to Ventnor: “It should be made clear that this (Seal Rocks) was not a planning matter and that the relevant minister was not the Minister responsible for planning.” Table of Historical Court Outcomes prepared for then Minister Guy, August 2013
Lie 4 - On the cost of going to Court
NEIL MITCHELL: Were you getting advice to that extent, though, that it would - could - well, actually, with costs it costs $3.5 million. Were you getting advice that it could cost more than that?
MATTHEW GUY: It would cost a hell of a lot more than that.
FACT: “Plaintiff to drop the action and State pay plaintiffs legal costs to date and $300,000 (estimate of State’s cost of going to trial).” Email from Deputy Secretary, 16 July 2012
Lie 5 - On legal risk
NEIL MITCHELL: The repeated legal advice here seems to be from the senior lawyers - little or no grounds for the claim.
MATTHEW GUY: Well, that’s not true - that’s on one, that’s on one part but that’s not in all of it[sic]. So the government will only tell you one part of what’s there - the other was fifty-fifty at best, and fifty-fifty’s not great odds when you’re risking a lot of taxpayers’ money.
FACT: “We do not consider the prospect to be greater than 50% but they are real. Such success would deliver no damages award. The remaining causes of action – which are the ones with the alleged substantial damages component – have minimal prospects of success.” Legal Advice to the Government, 30 May 2013
Lie 6 - On meeting Hopkins and Nicholls
NEIL MITCHELL: Jim Hopkins, Carley Nicholls, have you met them?
MATTHEW GUY: No, no, I cannot remember ever meeting them. I might’ve, I cannot ever remember meeting them.
FACT: In his affidavit Mr Guy acknowledged visiting Ms Nicholls' house but denied discussing Ventnor. The Age 19 August, 2013
Quotes attributable to Deputy Premier James Merlino
“The more Matthew Guy talks, the more Matthew Guy lies.”
“This wasn’t an interview, it was a litany of lies.”
“Matthew Guy handed over $3.5 million of taxpayers’ money to his Liberal Party mates to save his job and now he’s telling lie after to lie trying to justify his potentially criminal conduct.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020