Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan forces Labor MP Darren Cheeseman to resign as parliamentary secretary
Darren Cheeseman has previously served as Daniel Andrews’ Commonwealth Games parliamentary secretary, and as a federal MP for six years.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has forced the resignation of fellow Labor MP Darren Cheeseman as Parliamentary Secretary for Education following allegations of “persistent, inappropriate behaviour in the workplace towards staff”.
In a statement late on Friday, Ms Allan said earlier in the day she had requested his resignation, and he had co-operated.
“Under the Ministerial Code of Conduct, ministers and parliamentary secretaries are expected to behave according to the highest standards of personal conduct in the performance of their duties and to behave in a way that upholds community expectations,” Ms Allan said.
“Under the code, ministers and parliamentary secretaries must take all reasonable steps to maintain respectful and appropriate working relationships with their staff, staff of other ministers and MPs, parliamentary staff, VPS (Victorian Public Service) staff, and ministerial and parliamentary colleagues.
“The wellbeing of staff and their right to a respectful workplace is not negotiable.”
Ms Allan said Mr Cheeseman would remain as a member of the parliamentary Labor Party.
Mr Cheeseman, 47, has been the MP for the seat of South Barwon – which takes in the rapidly growing suburbs to the south and west of Geelong – since 2018.
The former CPSU official held the marginal federal seat of Corangamite from 2007-13.
He generated headlines last year when it was revealed he was continuing to receive an extra $49,710 on top of his backbench salary of $198,839 for his role as Parliamentary Secretary for the Commonwealth Games, despite the event having been cancelled.
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