Adem Somyurek

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"This is going to be relentless; we're just going to go fuck them. We're just going to go to town. This is fucking war. We've got fucking massive numbers, we've got about thirty going in every week..."

—  [18] , Covert audio recording of Somyurek

Following the release of the recordings, on 15 June 2020, Premier Andrews sacked Somyurek from his cabinet and referred Somyurek's conduct to Victoria Police and the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission for further investigation. [19] Andrews also wrote to the National Executive of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) to seek the termination of Somyurek's party membership. Later that day, the Labor Party's national president, Wayne Swan, confirmed that Somyurek had resigned his membership before he was to be expelled. [20]

IBAC investigation

Somyurek was a target of Operation Watts, an investigation by Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) and the Victorian Ombudsman. Operation Watts examined allegations of "serious corrupt conduct" made against Victorian public officers and Members of Parliament, and examined the 'branch stacking' aired in media reports in 2020. Public hearings were held in October and November 2021. [21]

On the first day of hearing on 11 October 2021, federal Labor MP and former ally of Somyurek Anthony Byrne claimed that Somyurek "had been coercing staff for at least two years and had threatened to 'take people out' of pre-selections." [22]

The findings of the investigation were released in July 2022. The report found that Somyurek had misused publicly funded staff, including by engaging them in branch stacking. [23] The report recommended making it "unlawful for ministers to allow a person to perform party political work while employed in a publicly funded role," which was not the case at the time of the allegations made against Somyurek. [24]

Re-election

In November 2022, Somyurek announced he had joined the Democratic Labour Party, and ran as a candidate for that party in the Northern Metropolitan Region for the Legislative Council. [25] Somyurek subsequently won a seat, [26] defeating MP Fiona Patten. [27]

Somyurek left the Democratic Labour Party in 2024. [28]

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References

  1. ↑ "Parliament of Victoria Electoral Matters Committee" (PDF). 2 March 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 September 2009. Retrieved 2010-01-23.
  2. ↑ Willingham, Richard (15 June 2020). "Adem Somyurek quits Victorian Labor Party after 60 Minutes airs allegations of branch stacking, offensive language". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  3. ↑ "Adem Somyurek quits Victorian Labor Party after 60 Minutes airs allegations of branch stacking, offensive language". ABC News. 14 June 2020. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  4. ↑ "'F**k the premier': Labor's secret tapes reveal industrial scale stackathon". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Adem Somyürek". Labor ALP People. Archived from the original on 22 July 2008. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
  6. ↑ A Somyurek, 'Inaugural Speech to Parliament', 2003, Parliament of Victoria, retrieved 8 October 2017.
  7. ↑ McMahon, Stephen (10 December 2009). "Premier John Brumby says no excuses for MP caught driving while disqualified". Herald Sun.
  8. ↑ Best, Catherine (10 December 2009) "Vic MP cops suspended jail sentence", Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  9. ↑ Rood, David (6 December 2010). "New look for Labor's shadow team". The Age. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  10. ↑ Australian Broadcasting Corporation,Daniel Andrews sworn in as Victorian Premier, unveils ministerial portfolios Archived 6 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine , 2014, retrieved 28 October 2017.
  11. ↑ Tomazin, Farrah (23 May 2015). "Minister stood down over allegations of misconduct made by chief of staff". The Age. Archived from the original on 24 May 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  12. ↑ "Adem Somyurek resigns as Small Business Minister after bullying investigation". The Age . 28 July 2015. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018.
  13. ↑ "Small Business Minister Adem Somyurek resigns from Victorian Cabinet following bullying probe". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 May 2015. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  14. ↑ "State Election 2018: South-Eastern Metropolitan Region". VEC . Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  15. ↑ R Baxendale, 'Women spearhead Daniel Andrews' new-look cabinet', The Australian, 27 November 2018, retrieved 28 November 2018.
  16. ↑ M Hore & J Dowling, 'Premier Daniel Andrews unveils fresh Cabinet and government department shake-up' Archived 4 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine , Herald Sun, 29 November 2018, retrieved 30 November 2018.
  17. ↑ "Changes To Council Electoral Structures". Premier of Victoria. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  18. 1 2 3 Llanbey, Sumeyya; McKenzie, Nick; Tozer, Joel (14 June 2020). "Calls for investigation into factional powerbroker Adem Somyurek". The Age. Nine Entertainment Co. Archived from the original on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  19. ↑ "'Terminated': Andrews sacks Somyurek, Albanese moves to kick him out of party". The Age. Fairfax Media. 15 June 2020. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  20. ↑ "Adem Somyurek quits Labor Party after 60 Minutes airs allegations of branch stacking, offensive language". ABC News. 15 June 2020. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  21. ↑ Operation Watts Archived 3 July 2022 at the Wayback Machine Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  22. ↑ "Victorian Labor minister Luke Donnellan quits over IBAC allegations of branch stacking". ABC News. 11 October 2021. Archived from the original on 11 October 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  23. ↑ "Operation Watts Recommendations" (PDF). Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission. 20 July 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  24. ↑ Bucci, Nino (20 July 2022) "Victorian ministers breached codes in 'shocking' misuse of public funds to fuel branch stacking, Ibac finds Archived 6 December 2023 at the Wayback Machine ", The Guardian.
  25. ↑ "Former Labor MP Adem Somyurek to run alongside Bernie Finn in Victorian election". ABC News. 6 November 2022. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  26. ↑ "Results by region". Archived from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  27. ↑ Kolovos, Benito (12 December 2022). "Crossbencher Fiona Patten concedes Victorian upper house seat to former Labor MP Adem Somyurek" . Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  28. ↑ Deery, Shannon (26 March 2024). "Adem Somyurek quits DLP as internal power struggle erupts between opposing factions" . Retrieved 29 October 2024.
The Honourable
Adem Somyurek
MLC
Adem Somyurek portrait, 2015.jpg
Somyurek in 2015
Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Northern Metropolitan Region
Victorian Legislative Council
Preceded by Member for Northern Metropolitan Region
2022–present		Incumbent
Region created Member for South Eastern Metropolitan Region
2006–2022		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member for Eumemmerring Province
2002–2006		Province abolished
Political offices
Preceded byas Minister for Innovation and Trade Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade
2014–2015		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Local Government
2018–2020		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Small Business
2018–2020
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