Political junkies need effective fix

Adem Somyurek appears at IBAC on Monday.

The IBAC hearings in Melbourne have provided, what must be for many, an alarming insight into how our two major political parties actually work. Branch stacking has been a feature of Victorian and NSW Labor Party activity for years. The startling news is that for many years the Liberal Party was up to its ears in the same grubby practice. The search for power is relentless and unforgiving. Like a bunch of desperate junkies our pollies and “wannabe” pollies will stop at nothing to gain entrance to the lolly shop. Every time one of these situations gets a run on the media there is at least one practitioner of those dark arts prepared to boast about his role and implicate as many of his former mates as he can.

He has even tried to entangle Premier Daniel Andrews in his web of intrigue. The problem is Adem Somyurek is a discredited lone voice with no evidence whatsoever of any wrongdoing by Andrews. His credibility is so low that no reputable person could take him seriously. His allegations will die a quick death because it is hard to imagine anyone proceeding to use them when the source is so dodgy. Labor does need to have a good look at how this man inveigled himself into its upper echelons when he was so clearly on the make for himself. People like Somyurek care little for institutions like the Labor Party except for how they can be manipulated for personal gain. There will be many a dry eye when his demise in politics is complete.

As long as there is significant rank and file involvement in the preselection system of both major parties there will always be a rort merchant ready to pounce. The problem with that statement is that it is really hard to see how such a component could ever be taken away. It is the rank and file who stand on polling booths in the rain and the sun to make sure that every voter has a “How to vote” in their hand. No political party can do without them and yet there are often moves by party elites to reduce their say in preselections. I have been guilty of attempting to do that with little success. Trying to wind back rank and file involvement cost me dearly in terms of endless argument and division in the ranks.

The Liberals have their own dramas over branch stacking as well.

When Malcolm Turnbull ran for preselection in the federal seat of Wentworth, he rejected allegations of branch stacking and said he had done nothing wrong by recruiting party members.

Somewhat tragically for the nation his preselection bid was successful. At that time Peter King had held the seat for some years and he typifies the problem both sides have. He could not blow out a political candle. The famous golfer Peter Thomson’s son also held the seat for a few years but he had the same problem with candles. The current member, Dave Sharma had an important role in the foreign affairs department and once served as Australia’s Ambassador to Israel. He is worthy of this very safe seat.

On both sides the safest seats are too often held by party hacks for whom a committee chairmanship is the highest post to which they could ever aspire. A prominent Liberal told me a few days ago that there are at least eight backbenchers in the Victorian parliament who contribute nothing other than have their ample derrieres sitting on the opposition benches. These types never break into a sweat trying to dislodge the Andrews government and from many people’s perspective never break into a sweat doing anything else either. A good clean out is what is required but I wouldn’t hang by the neck waiting for it to happen. Inertia is hard to beat.