Victorian Liberal powerbroker and former vice-president Marcus Bastiaan has resigned from the party following Channel Nine reports about alleged branch stacking.
Key points:
- Secret recordings involving Mr Bastiaan were broadcast by 60 Minutes
- Mr Bastiaan says he denies allegations of branch-stacking
- He says the leaking of historic material is a distraction for the party
The Nine reports alleged he directed taxpayer-funded electorate officers to recruit party members and boost factional numbers while they were working in federal MP Kevin Andrews's office.
Michael Sukkar, the Assistant Treasurer and Housing Minister, was also named in the reports. He is not alleged to have been actively involved in stacking Liberal branches, but the reports allege he benefited from it.
Mr Bastiaan rejected the allegations of branch stacking in a statement announcing his resignation from the party:
"I reject allegations of branch stacking. As the voluntary chair of the Party's Membership and Training Committee between 2015 and 2018 my role was to recruit and train new members.
"Two years ago, I stepped down from the Party's Administrative Committee to focus on my family and business. These priorities have not changed.
"Clearly, I have said foolish and stupid things in my twenties. I apologise without reservation to those I have offended, and hope I'll be wiser and kinder in my thirties.
"The ongoing leaking of years old historic material is an unnecessary distraction for the Liberal Party and it is with that in mind that I have resigned."
Secret recordings reveal plan to get 'a state director around our finger'
Mr Bastiaan is accused of targeting social and religious conservatives over several years in Victoria.
A secretly recorded phone conversation aired on Sunday night by The Age and 60 Minutes by Mr Bastiaan outlined a plan to:
"… change the [party] constitution … and open up preselections for 2020 when we've got the numbers all eligible, we're locked in, we're institutionalised, we've got our members in the Upper House, we've got a state director around our finger."
In another taped recording, Mr Sukkar outlined his wish to "get rid of" Victorian Upper House members after they voted in support of voluntary assisted dying:
"My view is there is four people in the Upper House on our side who have broken faith: Simon Ramsay, Bruce Atkinson, Mary Wooldridge, Ed O'Donohue. I think we can get rid of Simon Ramsay. We can potentially get rid of Bruce Atkinson, that's harder, but we can, it is still in the mix. So that is two out of the four gone."
The report also aired crude social media messages allegedly written by Mr Bastiaan, for which he has apologised.
Victorian Liberal director seeks 'full and detailed responses'
Mr Andrews and Mr Sukkar have denied wrongdoing. Both said they had referred allegations regarding the use of electoral staff to the secretary of the Department of Finance for an independent review.
After the reports were aired and published last night, the Liberal party's Victorian director Sam McQuestin said he was seeking responses from party members featured in the reports.
"The party will be seeking full and detailed responses from party members who were named in the 60 Minutes report or who may be able to provide further information on relevant matters,'' he said.
"The party will decide urgently on immediate actions to be taken and will determine further measures having regard to the responses received and the findings of any further investigations."
A statement from the Prime Minister's office said the Victorian division of the party had rightly launched an investigation.
"Ultimately this is an organisational matter for the Victorian Division," the statement said.
Sukkar, Andrews reject allegations
Mr Sukkar said he his team was expected to obey all Parliamentary policies.
"I completely reject the allegations made in tonight's episode of 60 Minutes aired on the Nine Network.
"Since being elected to Parliament, every member of my team has been directed to, and expected to, obey all applicable Parliamentary policies and guidelines and workplace laws.
"I have never authorised taxpayer funded staff to undertake party political activity outside of these policies and guidelines when they are being paid to serve the constituents of the Deakin electorate.
"I cannot speak to the operations of other Electorate Offices.
"Matters pertaining to the activities of staff members employed by other Members of Parliament and Senators are matters for them.
"In the interests of transparency and to remove any doubt, I have asked the Secretary of the Department of Finance to undertake an independent review of the staffing arrangements in the Deakin Electorate Office since my election in 2013."
Mr Andrews, the member for Menzies in Melbourne's north-east and a former minister, said the Nine reports made false claims:
"Tonight's 60 minutes program made a number of allegations which are false.
"The suggestion that I would be coerced into making decisions on staffing arrangements in my Electorate Office by others is untrue.
"I was elected the Member for Menzies in 1991 and have been in the Parliament for nearly 30 years.
"During that time I have dedicated myself to representing my community and serving my country.
"As 'Father of the House' my integrity and my reputation mean everything.
"I have referred staffing matters raised in the 60 minutes program to the Secretary of the Department of Finance to be independently reviewed."
Former Victorian premier Ted Baillieu said the allegations were "disturbing" and the party should "push back" as it had in the past.
"I think it's important for all Liberals to realise that there are much more important things to be talking about in Victoria than these sort of silly political games," he said.
Last week, Mr McQuestin revealed an audit of the membership had found more than 20 irregularities around the payment of membership fees, potentially in breach of the party's rules.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiaWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA4LTI0L21hcmN1cy1iYXN0YWFpbi1yZXNpZ25zLXZpY3Rvcmlhbi1saWJlcmFsLWJyYW5jaC1zdGFja2luZy8xMjU4ODg4NtIBJ2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvYXJ0aWNsZS8xMjU4ODg4Ng?oc=5
2020-08-24 01:23:00Z
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