Darren Cheeseman remains Labor Party member, documents reveal

It seems you can take the boy out of Labor, but you can’t take Labor out of the boy who was booted from the political party amid multiple allegations of “persistent, inappropriate behaviour”.

Darren Cheeseman on the crossbench during question time last week. Picture: NewsWire / Aaron Francis.

South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman remains a Labor member despite being booted from the parliamentary party 11 months ago, new documents reveal.

Mr Cheeseman, whose parliamentary profile lists him as an “independent”, confirmed his Labor Party membership in the latest register of interests that was tabled in state parliament last week.

The register’s seven-month reporting period ended January 31 and falls well after Mr Cheeseman was forced by Premier Jacinta Allan to resign from the parliamentary party in late April following allegations of “persistent, inappropriate behaviour” from former staff members.

Those allegations have never been detailed, denied or investigated.

Mr Cheeseman now sits on the crossbench next to fellow former Labor MP Will Fowles in an area other MPs have dubbed the “naughty corner”.

Mr Fowles, the Ringwood MP who was dumped from the parliamentary party in August 2023 following allegations he sexually assaulted a government employee, is no longer a Labor member.

Mr Fowles, who has always denied the claims, was arrested and interviewed, but following an investigation, police did not lay any charges and the case is now closed.

Former state Labor colleagues, now crossbenchers, Darren Cheeseman and Will Fowles in parliament last week. Picture: NewsWire / Aaron Francis

Mr Cheeseman, a federal Labor MP from 2007-2013 and state politician since 2018, did not respond to questions.

The annual Labor Party membership fee is dependent on someone’s salary, so Mr Cheeseman, who earns $205,798 a year, is up for $400.

Affiliated union members get a small discount.

Mr Cheeseman is a member of Modewarre, Grovedale and South Barwon football netball clubs, and he also listed a complimentary Victorian Racing Club membership.

Richard Riordan, Liberal MP in the neighbouring seat of Polwarth, slammed Mr Cheeseman’s representation of South Barwon residents.

He claimed that Mr Cheeseman had regularly declined parliamentary speaking slots, which were then allocated to Liberal MPs.

“He should always be referred to as the Labor member for South Barwon because Labor were the ones who got him elected,” Mr Riordan said.

“And of course Labor don’t want him going anywhere because they don’t want a by-election.”

In the lead up to the 2022 election, Mr Cheeseman pledged $1m to develop a business case for a secondary school that would cater for the fast-growing population in Mount Duneed and Armstrong Creek.

Darren Cheeseman’s Facebook post regarding funding for a business case for a new secondary school.

Asked about the business case during a visit to Geelong on Thursday, Education Minister Ben Carroll said he hadn’t spoken to Mr Cheeseman about the project in “some time”.

“We’re monitoring enrolments as part of the business case, our regional office is working closely with the schools in the community, so we’ll continue to make sure that we do everything we can around the work with the local authorities to make sure that we have enough school places for the future, including for students in Armstrong Creek and Mount Duneed,” he said.

Originally published as Darren Cheeseman remains Labor Party member, documents reveal