Credit Suisse boss sues Melbourne University Press over the Godwin Grech chapter in Paddy Manning’s biography of Malcolm Turnbull … Unhappy memories of Malcolm’s earlier attempt at leadership … Love letters from Godwin  

O’Sullivan arrived at Credit Sussse via Freehills and the Commonwealth Bank’s legal department. He was once married to right-wing opinion scribbler Janet (The Planet) Albrechtsen.  

He has also been close to Malcolm Turnbull for many years, originally selling his lecture notes to the young thruster and then winding-up as chairman of the PM’s local fundraising machine, the Wentworth Forum.  

At some point Treasury worm and Liberal mole, Godwin Grech, was sending O’Sullivan heaps of brown-nosing emails about Planet’s brilliant columns, tips and advice for Malcolm [he was then leader of the opposition], and about the Rudd government’s OzCar scheme to fund floorplan finance for car dealerships at the time of the GFC.  

O’Sullivan was replying with buttery endorsements of Godwin, who was the official in-charge of the car dealership funding program.  

Paddy Manning claimed in Born to Rule that Grech’s emails indicated he was prepared to favour O’Sullivan and Credit Suisse, which was advising on the OzCar scheme.  

“Re fees – what I have in mind is that once Rudd and his hacks sign off on Ford Credit, you and I can change the contract to reflect your preferred fee arrangement and push that through quickly next week. I will not be running it past [Treasury Secretary] Henry and co.”  

“It was breathtaking, and it was amazing that nobody landed in jail.”  

John 

FYI in confidence. An ad will soon appear in the AFR inviting investment banks and the like to tender for a Panel that Treasury wants to establish that will allow us to directly engage Credit Suisse without the usual red tape. 

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 
8 May 2009   

Justinian also did it’s its own research into the relationship between Treasury and Credit Suisse.  

Grech’s ingratiation appears to be an attempt at big-noting and working himself closer into the Liberal Party’s inner-sanctum, but he also held a trusted and important position in the Treasury.  

O’Sullivan, known to all and sundry as Jos, has hired lawyer Mark O’Brien, another associate of Turnbull from the good-old Turnbull McWilliam days.    

As in the Hockey case, O’Sullivan’s action has been commenced in the Federal Court and he is pleading that he:    

Genuine steps to resolve and settle the matter were not successful.    

Most of the relevant chapter in Born to Rule concerns the other aspect of the OzCar scheme – UteGate, and how Malcolm blew himself up because he fell for a forged email from Godwin falsely claiming that Rudd’s office had made representations to Treasury to provide support for a Queensland dealership, John Grant Motors, which had provided gratis a 1996 Mazda Bravo ute to Rudd’s electoral office. 

Turnbull overreached, declaring that Rudd was mired in a dreadful conflict, that he had lied to parliament and that he should resign.  

By the end of 2009, Turnbull was out of his job as leader of the opposition. He must be thrilled that the Godwin Grech affair is being re-agitated by his old pal.