Outcast Adem Somyurek tells ‘stupid’ Daniel Andrews to stand aside

Adem Somyurek says Daniel Andrews should have to stand aside for the same reasons that he did.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Labor leader Anthony Albanese. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

Crossbench former Labor MP Adem Somyurek has labelled Daniel Andrews a “hypocrite” over his refusal to stand aside as Premier of Victoria while facing two anti-corruption probes.

Mr Somyurek made his comments in support of a failed opposition motion in the upper house, calling for Mr Andrews to stand aside until the findings of the investigations have been tabled in parliament, “and during this time not participate in any executive or administrative decision-making”.

As The Australian last week revealed, Mr Andrews has twice been privately grilled by the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission, both as part of IBAC’s Operation Sandon inquiry into alleged cash-for-access scandal involving a property developer, Casey councillors and Labor MPs, and as part of the Operation Watts inquiry into branch stacking and misuse of public funds in the ALP.

In his speech to state parliament, Mr Somyurek made reference to a third IBAC inquiry into the government’s relationship with the United Firefighters’ Union. It is yet to be confirmed if Mr Andrews has been called to give evidence to this investigation.

“It is about the optics,” Mr Somyurek said. “You cannot have a premier of a state being entangled in three separate corruption inquiries. It is a shocking look. He needs to stand aside. I am not even saying step down; I am saying stand aside.”

Mr Somyurek – who is being investigated by Operation Watts over branch-stacking allegations – repeated allegations that Mr Andrews was also involved in branch-stacking, accusing him of hypocrisy.

Having twice promoted Mr Somyurek to his cabinet – the second time following a stint on the backbench after he was accused of bullying his female chief of staff – Mr Andrews in June 2020 expelled the former Labor powerbroker from the party.

“I rocked up … to see Mr Andrews in his office, and he said to me that he cannot have me under an IBAC investigation and remain a minister of the Crown. In fact, he said I cannot be a member of his team on the backbench in his caucus and have an IBAC investigation into me,” Mr Somyurek said.

“I thought, ‘fair enough’. In politics it is all about optics.

“Just like I sat in Mr Andrews’ office on 15 June 2020 when he told me that the optics of an IBAC investigation into me were so bad that he could not sustain me in his cabinet or on his backbench or in the party, I say to Dan this: ‘It is about the optics, stupid’.”

Mr Andrews earlier branded the motion calling on him to stand down “ridiculous”.

Ahead of the vote, Attorney-General and government leader in the upper house Jaclyn Symes said: “I actually think this is so ridiculous that it will get voted down.”