Victorian Liberals accused of sacking staffer in retaliation for bullying claims
Her application refers to discussions within a WhatsApp group, which is understood to have involved Smith and other staff.
Jones claims she was stood down in retaliation for making bullying complaints against Smith and Davis, and for Davis' embarrassment over the Rinehart incident. She claims she was then sacked in retaliation for taking her case to WorkCover.
The Liberal Party declined to comment on the allegations.
The Age has seen the Fair Work application lodged against the party last week, Jones' witness statement, and the stand-down and termination letters issued to Jones. The same documents have been provided to all members of the party's 19-person administrative committee, which includes Opposition Leader Brad Battin.
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The administrative committee has separately received a request to intervene in the damaging dispute between Deeming and Pesutto by authorising the use of party funds to pay for or loan the money for legal costs owed by the former leader to his party room colleague.
Deeming last year successfully sued Pesutto for defamation before the Federal Court after he falsely implied she associated with neo-Nazis. Battin replaced Pesutto as party leader weeks after the judgment.
The court this month ordered Pesutto to pay Deeming $2.3 million in legal costs by this Friday. Deeming's lawyers have flagged their intention to pursue third parties for costs — including former premiers Jeff Kennett, Denis Napthine and Ted Baillieu and serving MPs Georgie Crozier and David Southwick — if Pesutto is left bankrupt.
This masthead has spoken to a dozen party members and staff who requested anonymity for this story.
Four Liberal sources said standing Jones down from the fundraising body on the eve of the federal election hampered campaign fundraising efforts.
The complaint against Smith and Davis emerged at a time when the party organisation and its office holders were under intense pressure to account for the party's disastrous result in last month's federal election, at which it lost two more suburban seats to Labor. Both men were contacted for comment.
The latest federal election drubbing follows successive Liberal wipe-outs at the previous two state elections.
Suggestions by supporters of Smith and Davis that Jones' complaint was part of a bigger factional play for control of the party have been rejected by four sources close to Jones.
Battin has privately canvassed a clear-out of senior positions at party headquarters to end infighting and become electorally competitive in Victoria, several sources have confirmed to The Age, although Battin has publicly disputed this.
Jones, in her Fair Work application, claims she had almost quadrupled Enterprise Victoria's membership in the two years in her role, and that annual revenue had increased about fivefold. She claims she was the target of a misinformation campaign about her performance to legitimise standing her down.
She is seeking compensation for lost income, unpaid commission and damages.
The Fair Work claim provides further details about a March 26 fundraising dinner at Zagame's House on Carlton's Lygon Street that Jones secured Rinehart for, in what was seen as a coup for the party. Davis rebranded the Enterprise Victoria event as a Victorian Liberal Party function and insisted on hosting. Jones offered him speaking notes, but according to Jones' claim, Davis replied: 'This is not my first rodeo.'
He then introduced Rinehart as a sponsor of Netball Australia, which Jones in her application describes as a 'very public and embarrassing gaffe'. Hancock Prospecting withdrew its $15 million four-year sponsorship with Netball Australia in 2022 amid a flurry of headlines after Diamonds players said they did not want to wear uniforms featuring the mining company's logo.
Jones was stood down the next day. She claims the misconduct allegations against her had never previously been raised and that the action was retaliatory.
The party, in its stand-down letter to Jones, accused her of improperly giving complimentary or discounted tickets to an earlier $2000-a-head lunch with Western Australian senator Michaelia Cash without approval, sharing confidential and financial information, and using her private email and device to transmit and store sensitive party information.
Jones disputes the characterisation of the claims and argues they were contrived.
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