FED: Key developments in the OzCar affair

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2009
FED: Key developments in the OzCar affair

Key developments in the OzCar affair:

* December 5, 2008: Rudd government strikes $2 billion deal with big banks to provide
financing for car dealers after GE Money Motor Solutions and GMAC leave the market as
a result of the global financial crisis. The scheme becomes known as OzCar.

* February 19, 2009: An email - later found to be a fake by the Australian Federal
Police - allegedly sent from prime ministerial adviser Andrew Charlton to Treasury official
Godwin Grech asking whether OzCar can assist Ipswich car dealer John Grant. Grant is a
friend and neighbour of Kevin Rudd. He had donated a used ute for use as a mobile campaign
office in mid-2007.

* June 4: Grech tells Senate estimates hearing the Rudd and Swan offices made representations
on behalf of unnamed car dealers regarding OzCar.

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull asks Rudd and Treasurer Wayne Swan in parliament
if they or their offices have made "representations" on behalf of Grant regarding OzCar.

"Neither I or my office have ever made any representations on his behalf," Rudd tells
parliament. Swan says: "It is the case that Mr Grant made representations to my office
and he was referred on to the SPV (OzCar), just like everybody else. I have no idea what
the outcome of that was."

* Monday, June 15: Rudd later says when Turnbull raises the OzCar affair in parliament
on June 15 "both he and and the deputy leader of the opposition lent across this chamber
and began shaking their fingers at Dr Charlton who sits in the adviser's box". The government
says this is proof Turnbull knew about the alleged email.

* Wednesday, June 17: Charlton says Turnbull threatened him at the a parliament house
social function, the mid-winter ball, saying: "This whole OzCar issue will be very damaging
for you. Let me give you some friendly advice. You should not lie to protect your boss
(Rudd). You know and I know there is documentary evidence that you have lied."

* Friday, June 19: Grech delivers explosive evidence at second sitting of the Senate
hearing, "The initial contact that I had with respect to John Grant was from the prime
minister's office ... in a short email," he says, before adding that his recollection
could be faulty.

Senior Liberal Eric Abetz tells the hearing a journalist has suggested there was a
communication from Rudd's office to Grech, stating: "The prime minister has asked if the
car dealer financing vehicle is available to assist a Queensland dealership, John Grant
Motors, who seems to have trouble getting finance."

A series of tabled emails shows Swan's office lobbied on behalf of Grant.

Following the inquiry hearing, Turnbull issues a statement saying if Rudd and Swan
can't explain their behaviour then they have misled parliament and must resign.

Rudd holds a press conference on Friday night saying the alleged Charlton email is
"false" and announces the auditor-general will investigate the matter.

* Saturday, June 20: Turnbull switches his attack to Treasurer saying Swan hasn't explained
his office's lobbying on behalf of Grant and must resign. Swan says he stands by his comments
to parliament "100 per cent".

Government calls in Australian Federal Police to investigate source of "fake" email.

* Sunday, June 21: Rudd says Turnbull must produce alleged Charlton email within 24
hours or resign.

* Monday, June 22: AFP raids Grech's house. "The email referred to at the centre of
this investigation has been created by a person or persons other than the purported author
of the email," police say later.

Turnbull calls for a judicial inquiry into OzCar affair.

Swan releases 22 emails concerning two unnamed car dealers in an attempt to show Grant
didn't receive special treatment.

* Tuesday, June 23: Grech's Canberra home is egged overnight.

Opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey admits Grech worked for him briefly in 2001
and that he rang the Treasury official on Saturday to see if he was okay.

Turnbull concedes Rudd has no case to answer. "The case that Mr Rudd misled the house
about the communication is not sustained," he says.

Coalition sources suggest Grech was behind a series of leaks from Treasury in the past
year. He is labelled a potential "mole".

ABC TV reports AFP has widened its investigation into other Treasury leaks.

* Wednesday, June 24: Turnbull continues to brush aside questions about his relationship
with Grech. He again calls for a judicial inquiry in the whole OzCar affair.



* Tuesday, August 4: In a statement to The Australian newspaper, Grech admits he faked
the email and showed it to Turnbull and Liberal Senate deputy leader Eric Abetz in meeting
on June 12 in Lucy Turnbull's Sydney office.

A report into the affair by the Commonwealth Auditor-General finds no evidence the
offices of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Treasurer Wayne Swan gave special treatment to
a car dealer friend of Mr Rudd.

AAP jcd/kms/bsb/rl/dep/de

KEYWORD: DEALERS TIMELINE

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