By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Former Labor MP Adem Somyurek was the “architect” behind his Moderate Labor faction’s branch-stacking campaigns in Melbourne’s south east, north and west in 2017-’20, an Operation Watts anti-corruption inquiry found.
The South-Eastern Metropolitan MP, who had been long based in Dandenong, was responsible for the “cynical”, “blatant”, “extraordinary” and “shocking” misuse of public resources for this faction-building agenda.
“Although other factions were undoubtedly engaging in branch stacking, and this practice has been a scourge for the ALP for many years, the blatant misuse of public resources by the ML faction was extraordinary and shocking,” the inquiry report stated.
Factional leaders, in particular Mr Somyurek and factional ally and MP Marlene Kairouz, had “significant influence“ in placing staff in electorate and ministerial offices.
The report found some MPs in the faction felt unable to refuse when told by a factional leader to employ a particular person in the office.
Staff working for MPs in the faction felt under pressure to work at the direction of factional leaders, particularly Mr Somyurek.
“Many witnesses attested to Mr Somyurek’s bullying and abrasive communication style, which they found intimidating and distressing.”
Meanwhile, Mr Somyurek employed electorate office staff despite the “almost complete absence of any official work for them to do in communicating with or assisting constituents or supporting Mr Somyurek in his parliamentary duties”.
“Nevertheless, he made sure that his office was staffed to capacity and used his electorate office and communications budget to also employ numerous factional members as casual employees.”
When branch-stacking allegations were raised by The Age and 60 Minutes in June 2020, Mr Somyurek departed the front bench and resigned from the Labor Party.
According to the report, Mr Somyurek declined to respond to the inquiry’s draft findings.
He argued that the process was undermined by The Age publishing leaks from the confidential draft in April 2022, and that any published findings against him would also prejudice defamation action against Nine Network, the report stated.
Both Mr Somyurek and Ms Kairouz were found by the inquiry to have breached codes of conduct as Ministers and MPs, but no charges were recommended.
After the report was tabled, Mr Somyurek said he felt “happy”, “relieved” and “exonerated” on my hand, but “very, very angry” about a “biased” investigation.
“I can finally get my life back.”
Ms Kairouz strongly supported branch-stacking activities, paying “significant amounts” for other people’s memberships, the report stated.
She ensured her ministerial and electorate staff were “used to pursue the faction’s internal party agenda”. Her electorate office was a “hub of factional activity”.
The inquiry made no findings on whether former minister Robin Scott breached ministerial or MP codes of conduct.
It was possible, but there was no evidence, that his employed factional operatives and their relatives engaged in political-party activity in work time.
Holt MP Anthony Byrne gave evidence of a long history of paying members fees – up to about $2000 a year –as part of branch stacking since 1999.
He’d also told of employing people in his office because of their factional links, and of his involvement with Mr Somyurek.
No finding was made due to him being a federal MP.
“Neither IBAC nor the Ombudsman is able to comment on any possible breaches of Commonwealth laws or standards.”
