South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman’s return to parliamentary question time sparks extraordinary scenes

The South Barwon MP’s “Dorothy Dixer” to Premier Jacinta Allan, who only days earlier could not bear to mention his name, has created chaotic scenes in state parliament.

Geelong Labor MPs Christine Couzens and Darren Cheeseman last year. Picture: Mark Wilson.

Extraordinary scenes have unfolded in state parliament with beleaguered MP Darren Cheeseman’s presence during question time sparking accusations of a “protection racket”.

Mr Cheeseman, now an independent, was allocated a question midway through the 50-minute session on Wednesday.

He asked Premier Jacinta Allan to highlight the government’s investment in rail in the Geelong region.

The move, which was almost certainly strategised between Mr Cheeseman and Labor in the lead up, created uproar on the opposition benches.

Labor had until that point been peppered with questions focused on the ongoing CFMEU scandal.

Mr Cheeseman’s “Dorothy Dixer” – a term used when a question provides a government member the chance to give a pre-prepared response – pushed Liberal leader John Pesutto over the edge.

“We have tried repeatedly, yesterday and today, to require you (Speaker Maree Edwards), with respect, to order the Premier to answer questions on relevance,” he said.

“And yet, this discredited government gets protection from that disgraced member (Cheeseman), who’s allowed to waffle on, but not address the questions we ask on behalf of the Victoria people.

“This is a joke, this isn’t parliamentary accountability, this isn’t scrutiny, this is a protection racket and it’s provided all by the discredited member for South Barwon.

“It’s a joke.”

Ms Allan said in response that she “would not be gagged by the leader of the opposition of talking about our investment that we are making”.

Not happy: Polwarth MP Richard Riordan. Picture: Brad Fleet.

At this point, Polwarth MP Richard Riordan attempted to raise a point of order.

“On behalf of the member of South Barwon’s forgotten constituents, the Premier’s speaking notes might also point out what happened to the public homes promise over the Commonwealth Games and the abandoned Torquay community hospital.”

A supplementary question from Mr Cheeseman, who was booted from Labor in late April amid allegations of “persistent and inappropriate behaviour” towards female staff, caused more chaos in the chamber.

Mr Riordan later said Mr Cheeseman, who until Tuesday had missed 12 consecutive days of parliamentary sittings, had been “brought back into the fold to help protect the Premier”.

“Cheeseman has since April only asked an appalling Dorothy Dixer to protect his boss to get back in the good books,” he said.

“Any hope he may put the people of South Barwon first were dashed today when he was cynically used to protect the government from its record on CFMEU corruption.”

Mr Riordan said Mr Cheeseman should have used the question to probe Labor on “the lack of funding and services lost to South Barwon since he was sacked from the party room”.

Mr Cheeseman did not attend question time on Tuesday.

He has not been active on social media since April 29 when he confirmed his resignation from Labor after being told to do so by Premier Jacinta Allan.

His website has long been a dead link.

Analysis

Whatever democracy is, the people of South Barwon – and by extension, Victorians – aren’t experiencing it currently.

The return of local member Darren Cheeseman to parliamentary question time on Wednesday was nothing more than a farce.

And that’s being kind.

Having returned to Spring St this week following a three-month, fully-paid hiatus following allegations of “persistent and inappropriate behaviour” towards female staff that have never been detailed, denied or investigated, Mr Cheeseman gave question time on Tuesday a miss.

No reason was given why.

The following day, in a plan likely hatched by his former Labor masters, Mr Cheeseman dished up a question to Premier Jacinta Allan that could’ve been written by a primary school student.

It understandably caused commotion in the chamber that was largely muted by the Speaker’s ability to cut microphones off at her discretion.

That the South Barwon MP served up a half volley that even the less talented of tailenders could dispatch to the boundary suggests he is much more focused on placating the government than fighting for his constituents.

The whole drama is made even more intriguing because of Ms Allan’s visit to Armstrong Creek on Friday, where she repeatedly refused to be drawn on Mr Cheeseman’s future.

She said the people of South Barwon elected him.

But when it was suggested that only occurred because he was financed and promoted by the Labor machine at both the 2018 and 2022 election, the Premier said she was focused on the community.

Others would say it is politics.

Earlier: He was there, then he wasn’t

Missing in action MP Darren Cheeseman has shown his face at state parliament for the first time in three months, but then disappeared soon after.

Mr Cheeseman cut a lone figure on the crossbench during the Lord’s Prayer at 12pm on Tuesday.

But by the time question time rolled around at 2pm he was nowhere to be seen.

An employee in his Armstrong Creek office earlier confirmed that the South Barwon member would attend this week’s parliamentary sitting, which commenced Tuesday.

Mr Cheeseman gave every indication he would remain in parliament as an independent after he was booted from Labor in late April amid allegations of “persistent and inappropriate behaviour” towards female staff.

The South Barwon MP, elected in 2018, has since missed 12 days of parliament and failed to response to phone calls and text messages.

He has not been active on social media since April 29 when he confirmed his resignation from Labor after being told to do so by Premier Jacinta Allan.

His website has long been a dead link.

The link to Darren Cheeseman’s website is dead – but is his political career?

Mr Cheeseman was spotted a fortnight ago at the Clean Energy Council’s Australian Clean Energy Summit in Sydney.

His return to Spring St came a week after a job advertisement for a part-time position in his office was posted online.

The electorate officer role includes general administration, media and stakeholder engagement, parliamentary duties, and assisting constituents when required.

The position has a salary range of $72,332 to $81,831 pro rata.

Darren Cheeseman was nowhere to be seen during question time on Tuesday. Picture: NewsWire / Nicki Connolly.

Mr Cheeseman, as with all backbench MPs, received a 3.5 per cent pay rise on July 1, taking his annual salary to almost $206,000.

A range of other allowances also increased by a similar level under a determination from the Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal.

Liberal MP Richard Riordan, who represents the neighbouring Polwarth electorate, said the “exiled Labor-endorsed MP’s” absence continued to hurt residents.

“Constituents deserve to be told if Mr Cheeseman is going to attend parliament as he is paid to do, or to continue to sit it out,” he said.

During a visit to Armstrong Creek on Friday to announce a new kindergarten, Ms Allan would not say whether she wanted Mr Cheeseman to resign altogether, thus bringing on a by-election, or for him to remain as an MP.

Nor would she say whether Labor would support a no-confidence motion in Mr Cheeseman should one eventuate.

Premier Jacinta Allan has repeatedly said: “The actions of the member for South Barwon are a matter for the member of South Barwon.” Picture: NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui.

Ms Allan was unable to say where things were at with the $1m business case for a new Armstrong Creek secondary school that was promised by Mr Cheeseman and then-premier Daniel Andrews just prior to the 2022 election.

Mr Cheeseman’s promise in 2018 for a Torquay community hospital has not eventuated.

Gayle Tierney, a Legislative Council member for Western Victoria, has assumed responsibility for Labor in South Barwon.

Originally published as South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman’s return to parliamentary question time sparks extraordinary scenes