Labor MP raised rorts-for-votes scheme worries with Daniel Andrews

A LABOR MP has sensationally broken ranks to reveal he raised concerns about the Labor Party’s rorts-for-votes scheme with Premier Daniel Andrews before the last state election.

A GOVERNMENT MP has sensationally broken ranks to reveal he raised concerns about the Labor Party’s rorts-for-votes scheme with Premier Daniel Andrews before the last state election.

South-Eastern Metropolitan MP Adem Somyurek declared under oath at a parliamentary inquiry on Thursday that he had formed concerns about the “unusual” campaign funding ­arrangement in 2014, and briefly raised it with Mr Andrews after a caucus meeting. MORE: DECISION ‘IMMINENT’ ON POLICE PROBE INTO RORTS-FOR-VOTES LABOR RORTS MASTERMIND SNAPS: ‘GO TO SAUDI ARABIA’ CALL FOR MPS TO FACE FRESH ELECTION RORTS PROBE “I sort of raised the matter, probably for my own comfort and reassurances. The whole thing probably lasted a few seconds,” he said. Mr Somyurek also told the Legislative Council ­Privileges Committee: “I raised this matter with him (Mr Andrews). He referred me back to John (Lenders).” The Upper House committee is inquiring into a misuse of about $388,000 of parliamentary funds, in which the ALP part-paid for full-time campaign staff via MPs’ electorate office budgets. SCROLL DOWN FOR A RE-CAP OF OUR LIVE COVERAGE Ombudsman Deborah Glass called it an “artifice” to boost campaign coffers and In March, when Ms Glass’s report was tabled, Mr Andrews was asked whether MPs had raised concerns with him about the scheme. Mr Andrews said: “I don't believe so.” And the next day, he said: “Let me be very clear with you, no such approaches were made.” Mr Somyurek told the inquiry that Mr Lenders, who led Labor in the Legislative Council in 2014, approached him to participate in the scheme but he initially resisted because of the “unusual” arrangement of filling in time sheets for pooled staff. He said he had asked for a written assurance, which never eventuated. Late on Thursday, an irate Mr Somyurek took to ABC Radio to defend his sworn evidence. The veteran MP, who is currently at the centre of a public factional brawl, was angry that host Raf Epstein had tweeted: “Nothing like a factional rival to piss all over what everyone else is saying in government”. He demanded Mr Epstein take down the tweet, declaring: “I was motivated by the truth.” “What did you want me to do, say ‘I can’t recall’?” he said. He called Mr Andrews “a victim” of a scheme created by Mr Lenders. Mr Somyurek told the inquiry Mr Andrews might have thought his raising of his concerns was a whinge about losing resources. “In hindsight, I should have made an appointment, sat down with him and took him through my concerns.” He also said he felt Mr Lenders pressured MPs to participate in the scheme. Later, in her evidence to the inquiry, Families Minister Jenny Mikakos said that she had not experienced this. Mr Lenders, a former treasurer, also appeared before the inquiry on Thursday. He rejected findings by the Ombudsman that his scheme was an “artifice” and that he had ignored advice from parliamentary services. He also complained that he had not been “afforded procedural fairness”, as he had not been privy to some hearings behind closed doors. Mr Lenders told the inquiry he had “emphasised the need for division” in explaining to MPs a 60:40 pay split that he devised before the 2014 election, in which the ALP would pay for field organisers three days a week and parliament would pay them the other two days. Mr Lenders said he didn’t tell parliamentary services about the pay split, or about “exactly what these field officers were going to do”. But he said that, under the current arrangements with parliamentary services, the best way to know whether they were “OK” with a scheme was to see whether they paid the bill for it. The former treasurer said he never asked Mr Andrews to participate in the scheme. And he said he hadn’t spoken to the Premier in years, as he only “bumped into him at baptisms and funerals”. [e-mail] @moniquehore OTHER RORTS-FOR-VOTES NEWS: RORTS-FOR-VOTES MASTERMIND RETAINS CONTROL TIME FOR LABOR MPS TO TELL ALL ON RORTS-FOR-VOTES SCANDAL PREMIER SORRY FOR $388K ELECTION CHEAT Daniel Andrew faces another blow in 'rorts for votes' scandal