Godwin Grech may have been an ill, heavily over-worked public servant in Treasury struggling to cope with singlehandedly running the OzCar initiative, but he managed to find time to send a large number of emails from his workplace to external figures, including a great many to John O’Sullivan, Liberal Party official, close associate of and fundraiser for Malcolm Turnbull and chairman, Australian Investment Banking, Credit Suisse.

Treasury provided these emails to the Senate Privileges Committee and they were tabled last night in printed but electronic form.

Godwin offers political character assessments to O’Sullivan on May 27 :

President Obama “is the Kevin Rudd of US politics — a pure fake.  Let’s see the “Black Jesus” deal with the feral North Koreans …”

Kevin Rudd: “The duplicity and misrepresentation by Rudd are in some respects more extreme than Obama.”

Godwin on social policy — to O’Sullivan on May 27 :

I was incensed late last year when the Brumby Labor Government introduced legislation to legalise late term abortions in Victoria … Rudd refused [to intervene] — saying the issue was a state matter!  Since when is abortion — late term abortion — a state matter … We have to defeat this man.

Godwin tries to assure the Liberals of his bona fides — to Arthur Sinodinos on May 25:

Arthur

If possible, it would be good if you can send Eric Abetz a very short email or SMS before Friday this week just to let him know I am on his side.

I will explain later — but I need him to know from a highly credible source that I am Lib.

Godwin on his employer — to O’Sullivan, May 20:

Treasury supports what Bowen is doing; a key difference today with Whitlam is that at least Treasury held true in the period 1972-75.  Indeed, Treasury was pivotal in revealing the loans affair.  Today Treasury is as left wing loony as the Government it serves.

Godwin on good administration and misleading the Prime Minister — to Sinodinos on  May 21:

Arthur

There is a very good reason why I am making a special effort for [unnamed car dealer].  The principal is a strong financial donor to to the party and uses her home to hold fund raisers in the seat of ******.  MT [Malcolm Turnbull] knows of her (he has in fact been to her house).  I have told Rudd in person that she supports Labor and he told me to ensure she is looked after!! Risky on my part but I am enjoying the irony of it!!

Godwin on Arthur Sinodinos’s political prospects — to O’Sullivan, May 11:

Have just read it [first op-ed piece by Sinodinos].  VG I think — and clearly part of his Bradfield strategy.  Arthur would not be preparing weekly articles that are clearly pro-Coalition — if he wanted a long-term career in banking!!

Godwin on good administration again — to O’Sullivan, 6 May

John

I am planning to add a couple of lines in the press release [about the special purpose vehicle and financing] before I send it to Swan about the role of CS [Credit Suisse] ie to try to talk you up a bit.  I think we will get away with it …

On May 8, Godwin emails O’Sullivan again

CS should definitely put its hand up — something extraordinary would have to happen for you not to end up on the Panel and to cream most of the work.

Godwin on the Liberal Party — to O’Sullivan March 13:

John

Thanks. We need people like JA [Janet Albrechtsen, O’Sullivan’s wife, whose columns Grech regularly compliments] in the Party Room and on the front bench!!  We need to do something about the leadership farce urgently.  MT may need to contemplate some dramatic moves because Costello will bleed this out with only Rudd winning.

To a Coalition staffer —  December 4, 2008:

I agree that MT is doing a good job — but he needs to deal with the JB issue.  We also need to develop a broad narrative that sets out what we stand for …

To a Coalition staffer —  November 7, 2008

I have long wanted to work as a staffer (although I would much prefer in Government!!)  As I have told [unnamed] the plan was to move to the PMO after Howard won last year and to be there as he served out his last period in office (alas he lost the election!!).

Health is an issue for me.  I cannot hide that; but I am determined not to let that stop me.

My immediate motivation is to place myself where I think I could be of most value to MT and the Party.  At this stage, I am probably more value here in Treasury (albeit the personal risks I am taking).  I am also doing some fundraising for MT — he tells me that the cupboard is bare!

To a Coalition staffer September 4, 2008:

As I flagged this morning, I really don’t think we are being creative and strategic enough in the handling of the various budget measures and Fuelwatch. We are making ourselves easy targets by simply opposing and allowing Rudd and Swan to run a simple line that we are being fiscally reckless …

Godwin does policy development

Godwin prepares a proposal for a “National Economic Forecasting Commission” for a “Turnbull Government” and sends it to Sinodinos on May 18, 2009.

Arthur

Not a bad Neilson (sic) poll this morning — especially on the primary. [Nielsen poll in May was 53-47 and 44-43 on primaries]  Neilson typically overstates ALP support.  Also very interesting primary result in Victoria — with the Federal coalition going from a 20 point deficit in March to a 5 point lead now!

… I have prepared the attached proposal.  Let me know what you think.

Sinodinos tells Grech “John Stone and Des Moore were lukewarm about the Turnbull proposal [for a Parliamentary Budget Office] so I doubt they would support this other model.”

Grech reples:

Treasury would strongly oppose — that’s part of the motivation; Treasury would need to accept that the world has changed — part of the price of getting too close to the ALP …

This is in part what I want — to establish a clear tangible motive that we can point to so as to help us provie that Treasury is pro-ALP.  This I believe is critical to removing Rudd’s Treasury fig leaf …

Godwin on the Budget — May 13, 2009 to John O’Sullivan:

I think JA (Albrechsten) or one of her colleagues should get very agro on the fraud relating to the budget growth projections [since significantly upgraded and criticized as too pessimistic] and what they mean for the deficit and overall debt levels ….

… should also remind readers that the Treasury Executive Board has very close links with the ALP.  It is an arm of the ALP.

… I am happy to speak with JA for background if she wants.  I am deleting this as soon as I send it through to you.

That no one in the Liberal Party — not Abetz or Turnbull, not Sinodinos or O’Sullivan — had reservations about this individual speaks volumes for their judgement.

That Treasury was unaware this individual was emailing senior Liberal Party figures regularly from his work account speaks volumes for its security.

Above all, it says even more for just who Godwin Grech really is.