Adem Somyurek

Adem Kubilay Somyurek (born 25 September 1967 in Izmir, Turkey) is an Australian politician. He has served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Council currently representing the Northern Metropolitan Region.[1]

The Honourable
Adem Somyurek
MLC
Somyurek in 2015
Member of the Victorian Legislative Council
Assumed office
30 November 2002
ConstituencyNorthern Metropolitan (2022–present)
South-Eastern Metropolitan (2006–2022)
Eumemmerring Province (2002–2006)
Minister for Local Government
In office
29 November 2018 – 15 June 2020
PremierDaniel Andrews
Preceded byMarlene Kairouz
Succeeded byDanny Pearson
Minister for Small Business
In office
29 November 2018 – 15 June 2020
PremierDaniel Andrews
Preceded byPhilip Dalidakis
Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade
In office
3 December 2014 – 27 July 2015
PremierDaniel Andrews
Preceded byLouise Asher
Succeeded byPhilip Dalidakis
Personal details
Born
Adem Kubilay Somyurek

(1967-09-25) 25 September 1967
Izmir, Turkey
NationalityAustralian
Political partyDemocratic Labour (2022–present)
Other political
affiliations		Labor (2002–2020)
Independent (2020–2022)
Alma materDeakin University (MPol&Policy)
Monash University (BA)
Chisholm (CertBus(Acc)
ProfessionPolitician
WebsitePersonal Twitter Facebook

Somyurek was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) until 2020, when he was expelled to sit as an independent. He served twice as a government minister, as Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade in the First Andrews Ministry from 2014 to 2015 and as Minister for Local Government and Minister for Small Business in the Second Andrews Ministry from 2018 to 2020.

In June 2020, Somyurek became the subject of major corruption allegations including branch stacking during the 48th Victorian Parliament.[2]

Personal life

Born in 1967 in Izmir, Turkey, Somyurek moved to Australia with his parents when he was 18 months old. Prior to entering the Victorian Parliament, Somyurek worked as a taxi driver, as a staffer for Labor Senator Jacinta Collins in 1996 and later in the office of federal MP Anthony Byrne.[3]

Somyurek holds a Master of Arts in Policy and Politics, a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Sociology and an Associate Diploma in Business Studies (Accounting).

Political career

Somyurek first entered parliament after winning the Legislative Council province of Eumemmerring at the 2002 election.[4] Somyürek made his inaugural speech to the Victorian Legislative Council as the new member for Eumemmerring on 27 February 2003.[5] After the reforms that introduced proportional representation into the Legislative Council, Somyurek won a safe spot on the Labor ticket for the South Eastern Metropolitan Region and was easily re-elected at the 2006 election.[4] Somyurek was elected in the 2010 and 2014 State elections.

In his first term (2002–2006) Somyurek served on the Outer Suburban and Interface Committee, and the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee. In his second term (2006–2010) Somyurek was elected the first chair of the newly constituted Electoral Matters Committee but lost the position in December 2009 as a result of being convicted for driving while disqualified.[6] The conviction brought to light that Somyurek had been driving whilst disqualified for at least 12 months prior to this conviction, the original disqualification resulting from losing all demerit points on his license for a variety of driving offences.[6]

In his third term (2010–2014) Somyurek was promoted into the Shadow Ministry of the Daniel Andrews-led Labor opposition.[7] Upon election to his fourth term (2014–2018) and the election of the Labor Party in Victoria, Somyurek was sworn in as Minister for Small Business, Innovation, and Trade.[8]

Somyurek stood down from his ministerial role in May 2015 following allegations of inappropriate behaviour, and later resigned on 28 July 2015 after an investigation by the Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet found he had bullied his chief of staff, Dimity Paul.[9][10][11] He was succeeded by Philip Dalidakis in the Andrews Ministry.

At the 2018 Victorian election Somyurek was returned to his seat in the Upper House.[12] On 27 November 2018 Premier Daniel Andrews announced that Somyurek would be rejoining the Cabinet in the new Andrews Ministry.[13] On 29 November 2018 it was revealed that Somyurek was to handle the portfolios of Local Government and Small Business within the re-elected Andrews Government.[14]

In November 2022, Somyurek announced he had joined the Democratic Labour Party, and ran as a candidate for that party in the Northern Metropolitan Region.[15] Somyurek subsequently won a seat.[16]

The Age/Nine recordings

On 14 June 2020, The Age and Nine Network released covert recordings purporting to show Somyurek organising branch stacking. In its investigation, Somyurek is alleged to have registered local party members with false details, taking funds from business owners to pay for party membership fees, and directing ministerial staffers with branch stacking activities.[17]

Included in the numerous covert recordings, are several sections where Somyurek is heard making derogatory comments towards MPs Gabrielle Williams and Marlene Kairouz, and ministerial staffers. Some of the comments have been described as sexist and homophobic.[17]

“This is going to be relentless; we're just going to go fuck them. We're just going to go to town. This is fucking war. We've got fucking massive numbers, we've got about thirty going in every week...”

— [17], Covert audio recording of Somyurek

Following the release of the recordings, on 15 June 2020, Premier Andrews sacked Somyurek from his cabinet and referred Somyurek's conduct to Victoria Police and the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission for further investigation.[18] Andrews also wrote to the National Executive of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) to seek the termination of Somyurek's party membership. Later that day, the Labor Party's national president, Wayne Swan, confirmed that Somyurek had resigned his membership, adding that Labor's National Executive Committee had taken further steps to ensure there would "never be a place for Somyurek in the ALP ever again".[19]

IBAC investigation

Somyurek was a target of Operation Watts, an investigation by Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC). He has been a person of interest into matters around allegations of branch stacking in Victoria.

IBAC held public hearings during October 2021 into allegations of serious corrupt conduct involving Victorian public officers, including Members of Parliament. The hearings are part of Operation Watts, a coordinated investigation between IBAC and the Victorian Ombudsman, which is looking into a range of matters including allegations of 'branch stacking' aired in media reports in 2020.[20]

On the first day of hearing on 11 October 2021, federal Labor MP and former ally of Somyurek Anthony Byrne claimed that Somyurek "had been coercing staff for at least two years and had threatened to "take people out" of pre-selections.[21]

References
  1. "Parliament of Victoria Electoral Matters Committee" (PDF). 2 March 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 September 2009. Retrieved 2010-01-23.
  2. "Adem Somyurek quits Victorian Labor Party after 60 Minutes airs allegations of branch stacking, offensive language". ABC News. 14 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  3. "'F**k the premier': Labor's secret tapes reveal industrial scale stackathon". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  4. "Adem Somyürek". Labor ALP People. Archived from the original on 22 July 2008. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
  5. A Somyurek, 'Inaugural Speech to Parliament', 2003, Parliament of Victoria, retrieved 8 October 2017.
  6. Aaron Langmaid (10 December 2009). "Premier John Brumby says no excuses for MP caught driving while disqualified". Herald Sun.
  7. Rood, David (6 December 2010). "New look for Labor's shadow team". The Age.
  8. Australian Broadcasting Corporation,Daniel Andrews sworn in as Victorian Premier, unveils ministerial portfolios, 2014, retrieved 28 October 2017.
  9. Tomazin, Farrah (23 May 2015). "Minister stood down over allegations of misconduct made by chief of staff". The Age. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  10. "Adem Somyurek resigns as Small Business Minister after bullying investigation". The Age. 28 July 2015. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018.
  11. "Small Business Minister Adem Somyurek resigns from Victorian Cabinet following bullying probe". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  12. "State Election 2018: South-Eastern Metropolitan Region". VEC. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  13. R Baxendale, 'Women spearhead Daniel Andrews’ new-look cabinet', The Australian, 27 November 2018, retrieved 28 November 2018.
  14. M Hore & J Dowling, 'Premier Daniel Andrews unveils fresh Cabinet and government department shake-up', Herald Sun, 29 November 2018, retrieved 30 November 2018.
  15. "Former Labor MP Adem Somyurek to run alongside Bernie Finn in Victorian election". ABC News. 6 November 2022.
  16. "Results by region".
  17. Llanbey, Sumeyya; McKenzie, Nick; Tozer, Joel (14 June 2020). "Calls for investigation into factional powerbroker Adem Somyurek". The Age. Nine Entertainment Co. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  18. "'Terminated': Andrews sacks Somyurek, Albanese moves to kick him out of party". The Age. Fairfax Media. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  19. "Adem Somyurek quits Labor Party after 60 Minutes airs allegations of branch stacking, offensive language". ABC News. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  20. Operation Watts Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  21. "Victorian Labor minister Luke Donnellan quits over IBAC allegations of branch stacking". ABC News. 11 October 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
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