Former Labor powerbroker Adem Somyurek resigns from politics
Former Labor powerbroker Adem Somyurek has resigned, less than a month out from the state election.
Victoria
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Former minister Adem Somyurek has resigned, less than a month out from the state election.
The former Labor powerbroker will forfeit four week’s pay over the decision, but said it was time to “start a new chapter”.
He also said he was sick of sharing a workplace with Daniel Andrews, and wanted to spend more time with his family.
MPs were told of the resignation in an email from President of the Legislative Council, Nazih Elasmar, on Friday evening.
Mr Elasmar said he had received notification from Governor Linda Dessau confirming the resignation took effect as of Thursday.
The shock move sparked a wave of speculation across political circles.
It brings to an end a 20 year parliamentary career in which Mr Somyurek served as a minister across a range of portfolios.
He was the minister for Local Government and Small Business when he was sacked by the Premier, for the second time, and given a life ban from the ALP in June 2020.
It followed accusations of branch stacking and illegal criminal activity.
After leaving the government in 2020 Mr Somyurek embarked on a self-imposed parliamentary exile until November 2021 when he returned to oppose proposed pandemic management legislation.
It forced the government to delay a vote on the Bill and significantly amend the proposed legislation.
Mr Somyurek has also accused Daniel Andrews of branch stacking and being instrumental in Labor’s infamous Red Shirts election rort.
The rort saw almost $388,000 in taxpayers’ money spent on part-paying electorate staff to campaign for the 2014 election.
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