Government MP continues to pocket $50k for Comm Games role

A government MP whose main role was to assist with the Commonwealth Games is still receiving additional pay despite the event being scrapped.

A government MP whose key responsibility was to assist with the Commonwealth Games is still receiving an extra pay packet for the role despite the event being binned.

The state opposition has now called on the Andrews government to strip Darren Cheeseman of his responsibilities and also repay any money received from the role since the Games’ had been called off.

Mr Cheeseman, the Labor MP for the seat of South Barwon which encompasses the suburbs of Geelong, was named as the parliamentary secretary for the Commonwealth Games in June 2022.

Darren Cheeseman was named as the parliamentary secretary for the Commonwealth Games in June last year. Picture: Mark Wilson

A parliamentary secretary is a member of parliament who assists a minister with their duties.

MPs who become a parliamentary secretary take home an additional $49,710 including expenses each year, on top of their base wage of nearly $200,000.

While several of the Andrews government’s 14 parliamentary secretaries have various portfolios, Mr Cheeseman’s only has the one.

Deputy opposition leader David Southwick said the Premier “must immediately abolish this position”.

“Darren Cheeseman should repay the money he has received for a job he is no longer doing,” he said.

“A week on from the Commonwealth Games scandal and Darren Cheeseman is still taking home additional pay for a job he should not longer have.

Deputy opposition leader David Southwick called on the Premier to abolish Mr Cheeseman’s position. Picture: David Crosling

“This is a slap in the face to taxpayers who are already facing a more than $1 billion compensation bill to get Victoria out of the Andrews government’s Commonwealth Games debacle.”

A government spokeswoman said: “There’s no shortage of work to do and Darren will continue as a Parliamentary Secretary.”

But the government has refused to answer several questions about whether this would lead to a reshuffle of secretaries, or whether Mr Cheeseman will have an entirely new portfolio created.

Instead they said, further details about his responsibilities will be confirmed before parliament returns next week.

Last week, Ministers Jacinta Allan and Harriet Shing officially forfeited their Commonwealth Games’ related portfolios.