Sports Minister John Eren teeters on the brink

THE ministerial career of John Eren hangs by a thread after a bumbling parliamentary performance that opened cracks in the Andrews Government’s rorts-for-votes scheme defence.

THE ministerial career of John Eren hangs by a thread after a bumbling parliamentary performance that opened cracks in the Andrews Government’s rorts-for-votes scheme defence.

JOHN EREN REFERRED TO PRIVILEGES COMMITTEE OVER RORTS FOR VOTES SCANDAL

JOHN EREN WAS TOLD SCHEME TO PAY CAMPAIGN STAFF WAS WITHIN RULES

MPS NOT SORRY AFTER PROBE FINDS THEY SCAMMED $388K FROM TAXPAYERS

The Sports Minister was forced to answer questions this week about why he told parliament in 2015 he had not signed timesheets for a staff member to work in Bellarine during the 2014 election campaign.

Ombudsman Deborah Glass found last week that Mr Eren’s Lara electorate officer had worked in Bellarine.

Mr Eren struggled and strayed from the government’s rehearsed lines, leaving colleagues looking stony-faced and anxious.

On Thursday, Labor MPs were seen checking if Mr Eren had his notes prepared for Question Time, expecting the state Opposition to focus on him.

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Sports Minister John Eren’s career hangs by a thread. Picture: Sarah Matray

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy complied, grilling Mr Eren about whether he had hired a second electorate officer who was used to campaign for the ALP in Police Minister Lisa Neville’s seat of Bellarine.

The electorate officer Mr Eren hired and deployed in Bellarine resigned in March 2014. Ms Glass said she could not check if he was replaced because Lower House MPs did not co-operate with her probe.

Mr Eren did not answer Mr Guy’s question, and in a rambling response said the Ombudsman report showed MPs had acted in “good faith”.

Mr Guy said as a result of Mr Eren’s answer the $388,000 Ms Glass found Labor had rorted may not be the total amount taxpayers were cheated.

The awkward performance comes weeks after Mr Eren was accused of derailing the government’s agenda when expletive-laden text messages sent from Labor colleague Adem Somyurek were leaked. The Herald Sun understands he received a severe dressing down from a respected minister.

Ombudsman Deborah Glass found last week that Mr Eren’s Lara electorate officer had worked in Bellarine. Picture: Alex Coppel

In another toxic day in state parliament, Labor MP Hong Lim was forced to apologise after he raised his middle finger in the Lower House.

Clarinda MP Mr Lim raised his finger in the air repeatedly during Question Time. Speaker Colin Brooks ordered an apology for the “clearly unacceptable” gesture, to which Mr Lim said: “I apologise to the House”.

He later said in a statement that he acted inappropriately, but added that he had “often been a victim of racism”.

Liberal MP Roma Britnell had lodged a formal complaint after she said Mr Lim verbally abused her in a parliament lift.

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