By Rachel Eddie
Premier Jacinta Allan has defended keeping demoted MP Darren Cheeseman in her party room despite saying inappropriate behaviour he has been accused of is not acceptable anywhere in the community.
Cheeseman, the member for South Barwon, was asked by the premier to stand down as parliamentary secretary of education on Friday over allegations he engaged in a pattern of inappropriate behaviour towards a staff member. But he has been allowed to remain in the parliamentary Labor Party on the backbench.
Premier Jacinta Allan at a women’s safety protest in the CBD on Sunday morning.Credit: Wayne Taylor
Facing questions for the first time, Allan on Sunday said she first learnt about Cheeseman’s alleged conduct late on Wednesday — two days before asking for him to resign and in the days after her office received the complaint.
Allan defended her decision not to seek his removal from her parliamentary team when she was asked four times why alleged persistent inappropriate workplace behaviour was acceptable in her partyroom.
“Inappropriate and persistent behaviour is not appropriate in any workplace, in any organisation, anywhere in the community,” Allan said.
“I’ve just come from the women’s safety rally in the CBD of Melbourne. Thousands and thousands of women — and men — marched together down Swanston Street with that very strong message. Women deserve the right to be respected in every space, in every workplace, in every part of our community. And that’s certainly the standard that is my expectation that I uphold whether it’s in my office or any workplace that I’m involved in.”
South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman.
She said that allegations regarding anyone in the parliamentary Labor Party or people in her office would be considered and acted upon appropriately.
Pushed on how that squared with keeping Cheeseman in the party room, she said she was responsible for upholding the ministerial code of conduct. His resignation as parliamentary secretary was sought and given under the code.
“The allegations were put to me in the context of my responsibilities in upholding the ministerial code of conduct, as it applies to ministers and parliamentary secretaries. And yes, that code of conduct does require higher standards for ministers and parliamentary secretaries to uphold, and it is my role to enforce that code of conduct, and it was in that context the allegations were put, those allegations were looked at, and it was my determination that the behaviour did not meet the code.”
The code requires ministers and parliamentary secretaries to take all reasonable steps to maintain respectful and appropriate working relationships with all staff.
Five Labor sources, speaking anonymously to discuss internal matters, said Cheeseman’s alleged behaviour related to persistent sexual comments towards one staffer. Cheeseman was not alleged to have engaged in any physical contact.
He was contacted on Sunday.
The premier’s office received the complaint, made inquiries and supported the complainant in the days before informing Allan about what she called an alleged “pattern of persistent inappropriate behaviour”.
“It was at that point that I determined that the information that was before me did not meet the standard, not only that I expect personally, but the standard that I uphold with the responsibility to enforce the ministerial code of conduct for ministers and parliamentary secretaries,” Allan said.
The premier said she would not go into detail about the complaints to respect the privacy of Cheeseman’s staff, repeating they deserved a safe workplace.
Allan would not say whether Cheeseman had made any admission or apology, and would not be drawn on whether he could ever be promoted again.
Six sources said they saw no appetite to boot Cheeseman from Labor’s parliamentary team, while a seventh said seeking his removal would be a challenge to Allan’s authority.
Expulsion would require one Labor MP to bring the motion to caucus and another to second it, before going to a vote.
“Dumb thing to do unless you believe you have the numbers,” one source said.
Shadow health minister Georgie Crozier said Allan needed to explain what was alleged to have happened and when, and why she had not booted Cheeseman from the party room.
“The premier can go and attend rallies on domestic violence and lecture everybody about behaviours,” Crozier said. “This is mixed messages.”
Cheeseman was parliamentary secretary for the Commonwealth Games before the 2026 regional event’s cancellation. In October, he was transferred to the education portfolio.
Parliamentary secretaries are MPs who assist cabinet ministers with their portfolio responsibilities, sometimes known as assistant ministers.
Cheeseman was a federal MP in the seat of Corangamite – which takes in parts of Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula and the Surf Coast – from 2007 to 2013. He moved to state politics with his election to the seat of South Barwon, which covers parts of Geelong and areas to the south and west of the city, in 2018.
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