Small Business Minister Adem Somyurek forced to quit after staff allegations

LATEST: THE woman at the centre of bullying allegations against former Small Business Minister Adem Somyurek says she hesitated in reporting him because she did not want to be seen as a victim.

THE woman at the centre of bullying allegations against former Small Business Minister Adem Somyurek says she hesitated in reporting him because she did not want to be seen as a victim.

Mr Somyurek was forced to resign from Cabinet today after a report into the allegations against him found he gently shook the chin of his former chief of staff, Dimity Paul.

Ms Paul said she “attempted to cope with the conduct” for months.

“I didn’t report it because I feared doing so would have a detrimental impact on my career and also because I did not want to think of myself as a victim,” she said today.

But Mr Somyurek continues to deny claims that he touched Ms Paul on the face, telling investigator Michael Strong that the accusations she made were “false”.

Mr Somyurek instead blamed the allegations on a union revenge plot.

READ THE REPORT HERE

Mr Somyurek’s chief of staff Dimity Paul with former PM Julia Gillard and husband Raff Ciccone.

The upper house MP said leaving the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association in February had brought the union’s wrath upon his head.

“We knew there would be payback, we had no idea this payback would be so extreme,” Mr

Somyurek said today.

Mr Somyurek called on SDA-aligned deputy premier James Merlino and the premier’s chief of staff John McLindon to step aside from their positions.

He said the government was under the influence of SDA boss Michael Donovan.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the report contained “a number of very unfortunate and inappropriate incidents” between Mr Somyurek and Ms Paul.

“One of which, relates to physical contact with a female member of staff,” he said.

The report by Mr Strong said the chin grab happened at a February meeting.

Former Office of Police Integrity boss Michael Strong found that the minister had been “embarrassed by a comment made by his Chief of Staff, Dimity Paul”.

“(He) took Ms Paul by the arm to prevent her from leaving his office then took her chin in his hand and shook it gently from side to side as a form of admonition,” Mr Strong writes.

“The conduct diminished, to some degree, Ms Paul’s confidence in her personal safety.”

In response to claims, Mr Somyurek said that “at no time did I make physical contact with her”.

He also said Ms Paul was prone to exaggeration.

Mr Strong said he believed Ms Paul, and said he was satisfied it was “not a fabrication”.

Mr Somyurek maintains his innocence over the allegations. Picture: Eugene Hyland

Mr Somyurek’s move to the backbench is expected to cause headaches for Premier Daniel Andrews.

He also said that Mr Somyurek had been demeaning to Ms Paul, especially prior to public performances like parliament.

Mr Andrews said the findings did not recommend any further investigation by authorities.

He said Mr Somyurek had paid a heavy price for his actions, by being forced out of Cabinet.

“The Minister’s behaviour, as outlined by Mr Strong, is unacceptable,” he said.

He apologised to Ms Paul for what he said was a failure of duty of care.

A tearful Mr Somyurek said he had lived through his parents being bullied at work when he was a child, and he was passionate about preventing workplace bullying.

Mr Somyurek said if Labor didn’t tackle the undue influence of people from outside government it would lose the next election.

“We need to save the government,” he said.

He said he had “absolutely” spoken to other members of caucus about the influence the SDA had on the government.

Mr Somyurek also said he had a robust conversation with the premier, Mr McLindon and Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings this morning.

“He wanted me to resign, I wanted to be sacked,” he said.

Mr Somyurek said he was denied the opportunity to cross examine witnesses and examine electronic records and the report into him was a defamatory “dirt sheet”.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said the government appeared to be “at war with itself”.

“If you can’t govern yourself, you can’t govern Victoria,” he said.

“We are watching the Andrews Labor Government fall apart just eight months after coming to power.”

MINISTER VOWS TO CLEAR NAME OVER BULLYING

ANALYSIS: BOMBSHELL THAT SET PHONES RINGING

A Labor caucus meeting will be held on Friday to decide on changes to Cabinet.

Mr Somyurek told the Herald Sun: “I am deeply disappointed by the result of this investigation.”

“I have maintained my innocence all along, and I continue to.”

The South Eastern Metro MP will now move to the backbench in the Legislative Council.

The move is likely to expose serious internal ruptures within Victorian Labor, with senior Labor figures predicting carnage.

Others say it will be a test of whether MPs support stable government or Mr Somyurek.

- with AAP