Adem Somyurek makes vitriolic branch-stacking rant

Disgraced powerbroker Adem Somyurek has made stunning accusations under parliamentary privilege.

Adem Somyurek speaking in Victorian Parliament on Thursday morning. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Disgraced Victorian powerbroker Adem Somyurek has used his first parliamentary appearance since he was expelled from the ALP in June to accuse Premier Daniel Andrews and federal Labor MP Anthony Byrne of using ethnic groups in Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs as part of a branch-stacking arms race.

In an extraordinary diatribe under parliamentary privilege, which was cut short by upper house president and former Somyurek factional ally Nazih Elasmar on the basis that it breached parliamentary rules, Mr Somyurek also attacked Nine Newspapers investigative reporter Nick McKenzie, accusing him of being a “liar” and engaging in a “highly biased hatchet job of journalism”.

Mr Andrews sacked Mr Somyurek as small business and local government minister after McKenzie aired revelations of his alleged involvement in “industrial scale” branch-stacking within the ALP on Nine’s 60 Minutes television program.

The program alleged the then member of the ALP national executive had handed a folder containing $2000 and dozens of party membership forms to a ministerial adviser who used the cash to pay for new members.

Recordings were also played of Mr Somyurek describing Minister for Women Gabrielle Williams as a “stupid bitch” whom he will “f..king force … out of the ministry”, and young Labor staffers as “patronising and annoying”, and “real little f..king slimy little f..kers — little passive-aggressive f..king gay kids”.

Mr Somyurek on Thursday reiterated apologies for using misogynistic and homophobic slurs, saying he would accept “whatever label” was applied to his “bad language”, but would not allow himself to be “defined” by it.

In June, Victorian Attorney-General Jill Hennessy referred the allegations against Mr Somyurek to corruption watchdog IBAC and Victoria Police. Both are conducting investigations.

Mr Somyurek’s factional allies Marlene Kairouz and Robin Scott were also forced to resign from cabinet but remain members of the ALP.

Mr Andrews commissioned party elders Jenny Macklin and Steve Bracks to conduct a review of party members. Control of Victorian Labor was handed over to the party’s national executive until that review is complete.

Mr Somyurek said he would always “carry the scars from the betrayal” of Mr Byrne, after their 25-year friendship ended spectacularly when it became apparent that Mr Byrne’s veteran staffer Alexandra Stalder had used Mr Byrne’s office to covertly record conversations with Mr Somyurek, some of which were aired as part of the 60 Minutes ­report.

Asked to respond to Mr Somyurek’s parliamentary speech, a spokeswoman for Mr Andrews said his office had “no comment to make about that individual or anything he may claim”.

Mr Byrne’s office was contacted for comment.