Somyurek ally Marlene Kairouz caught in branch-stacking scandal - The Age

During the meeting, Ms Kairouz is recorded describing as "excellent" the use of taxpayer-funded parliamentary officers to run the operation and directs them to challenge any attempts by Labor’s Left to weed out branch-stacked members.

"He [a Left faction official] was spinning shit last week about going through all our [membership] forms. And I said to [my chief of staff] Michael [De Bruyn], let him do it, because he’s got 2500 of our members that he has to go through. They drop one, we put in 10 ... Always call his bluff," Ms Kairouz says, in reference to placing 10 new members into the party for every member who is disqualified.

The Age and 60 Minutes revealed on Sunday that one of Ms Kairouz’s taxpayer-funded ministerial advisers, Nick McLennan, had helped in branch-stacking operations, including meeting Mr Somyurek twice in a suburban car park to pick up cash to pay for fake Labor memberships.

It was also revealed that Mr Somyurek had recruited taxpayer-funded parliamentary employees to work in a self-described "flying squad" to stack branches across Victoria.

In the ministerial conference room meeting, Ms Kairouz tells the "flying squad" that they need to help share the factional workload with Mr De Bruyn.

"It won’t be difficult to get where Michael [is]," Ms Kairouz tells the parliamentary employees about their new roles.

"Because it’s hard for Michael – young baby, he’s got family responsibilities and he’s my chief-of-staff. We’ve got really difficult stakeholders, and then you’ve got our own stakeholders that we’ve got to manage – our moderate Labor ones – so we need someone to."

Premier Daniel Andrews sacked Mr Somyurek from the cabinet on Monday over his part in the "industrial-scale" branch stacking operation and because of misogynistic and homophobic comments directed at Labor ministers and staff, caught on recordings obtained by The Age and 60 minutes.

But he stood by Ms Kairouz – Mr Somyurek’s factional ally – saying she assured him that she had not acted inappropriately.

"[Ms Kairouz] confirmed for me, if you need a quote, here is the quote: ‘I’ve acted appropriately at all times.’ I’ve asked the minister whether she’s acted appropriately at all times; she has guaranteed me that she has," Mr Andrews said yesterday morning.

In another meeting with the Somyurek "flying squad" earlier this year, Ms Kairouz is recorded saying the Socialist Left faction are "all white" and do not "support women of ethnic backgrounds". Ms Kairouz is of Lebanese heritage.

She then complains that even white male politicians in her own Right faction, such as Parliamentary Secretary for Schools Tim Richardson, would not be suspected of branch stacking if they used white people to inflate membership numbers.

Marlene Kairouz and Premier Daniel Andrews in 2018.Credit:AAP

"I’ll give you an example, if Tim Richardson was able to recruit, and he’s a good friend of ours, I don’t know why he is not here ... if he goes out and recruits 10 people in the Labor Party they will probably fly him around the country and say ... good on him," Ms Kairouz said.

Loading

"But if I recruit my sister, my brother, my mum and my dad, I’m a stacker. We just got to call it out for the Left as well because they are stackers as well."

There is no evidence in the recordings that Mr Richardson actually engaged in branch stacking. Mr Somyurek replies: "If you go to a Left caucus meeting you’ll think you are at the Ku Klux Klan," before describing former upper house MP Gavin Jennings as "the chief klansman". Mr Jennings, who was regarded as Mr Andrews’ right-hand man, resigned from Parliament in March before the scandal was revealed. There is no suggestion Mr Jennings is involved in any impropriety and it is understood he is appalled by Mr Somyurek's comments and conduct.

In the same flying squad meeting, senior ALP operative Garth Head offers advice about how to conceal branch stacking by taking out advertisements in local papers calling for new members.

"Who gives a stuff if no one responds. It is great cover for the people you are bringing in," Mr Head tells Ms Kairouz and Mr Somyurek.

The recordings show Ms Kairouz offered to make a parliamentary employee in Ms Kairouz’s office available to work on memberships operations.

When asked by members of Mr Somyurek’s "flying squad" if the employee can help out with factional activities on Thursday or Friday, Ms Kairouz said: "Yeah, absolutely."

Loading

In the ministerial conference room meeting, Ms Kairouz is also recorded describing how her office is tirelessly checking branch member forms, a seeming reference to how taxpayer-funded staffers are engaging in party political behaviour. Parliamentary laws outlaw the use of taxpayer-funded staffers to perform a party-specific activity.

"I think what you need to do in the short term very quickly – my office has done this already and they are doing it as part of [ALP member] renewals," she says.

"Last time we were doing it for everybody and my staff were just working on that ... It was terrible."

The tape of the CBD meeting, along with other recordings of Ms Kairouz meeting to discuss branch stacking, appear to contrast with her assurances to Mr Andrews that she has acted appropriately at all times.

The use of taxpayer-funded parliamentary employees for party political activity was outlawed in 2019 after the "redshirts scandal", when Labor staffers getting paid with public money were involved in election campaigning.

Most Viewed in Politics

Loading

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMigAFodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVhZ2UuY29tLmF1L3BvbGl0aWNzL3ZpY3RvcmlhL3NvbXl1cmVrLWFsbHktbWFybGVuZS1rYWlyb3V6LWNhdWdodC1pbi1icmFuY2gtc3RhY2tpbmctc2NhbmRhbC0yMDIwMDYxNS1wNTUydXMuaHRtbNIBgAFodHRwczovL2FtcC50aGVhZ2UuY29tLmF1L3BvbGl0aWNzL3ZpY3RvcmlhL3NvbXl1cmVrLWFsbHktbWFybGVuZS1rYWlyb3V6LWNhdWdodC1pbi1icmFuY2gtc3RhY2tpbmctc2NhbmRhbC0yMDIwMDYxNS1wNTUydXMuaHRtbA?oc=5

2020-06-16 01:18:41Z
52780852369353

Bagikan Berita Ini