Adem Kubilay Somyurek (born 25 September 1967 in
Izmir,
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
) is an Australian politician. He has served as a member of the
Victorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council (VLC) is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Co ...
representing
South Eastern Metropolitan Region
South-Eastern Metropolitan Region is one of the eight electoral regions of Victoria, Australia, which elects five members to the Victorian Legislative Council (also referred to as the upper house) by proportional representation. The region was c ...
since 2002.
Somyurek was a member of the
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also simply known as Labor, is the major centre-left political party in Australia, one of two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. The party forms the f ...
(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
A branch, sometimes called a ramus in botany, is a woody structural member connected to the central trunk of a tree (or sometimes a shrub). Large branches are known as boughs and small branches are known as twigs. The term '' twig'' usuall ...
during the 48th Victorian Parliament.
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
Jacinta Mary Ann Collins (born 4 September 1962) is a former Australian politician who served as a Senator for Victoria from 1995 to 2005 and again from 2008 to 2019. She represented the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and was the party's deputy ...
in 1996 and later in the office of federal MP
Anthony Byrne.
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
Eumemmerring is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 32 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Casey local government area. Eumemmerring recorded a population of 2,285 at the 2021 ce ...
at the
2002 election.
Somyürek made his inaugural speech to the
Victorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council (VLC) is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Co ...
as the new member for
Eumemmerring
Eumemmerring is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 32 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Casey local government area. Eumemmerring recorded a population of 2,285 at the 2021 ce ...
on 27 February 2003. After the reforms that introduced
proportional representation
Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...
into the
Legislative Council, Somyurek won a safe spot on the Labor ticket for the
South Eastern Metropolitan Region
South-Eastern Metropolitan Region is one of the eight electoral regions of Victoria, Australia, which elects five members to the Victorian Legislative Council (also referred to as the upper house) by proportional representation. The region was c ...
and was easily re-elected at the
2006 election.
[ 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.] 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.
In his third term (2010–2014) Somyurek was promoted into the Shadow Ministry of the Daniel Andrews
Daniel Michael Andrews (born 6 July 1972) is an Australian politician serving as the 48th and current premier of Victoria since December 2014. He has been the leader of the Victorian branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) since December ...
-led Labor opposition. 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.
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. He was succeeded by Philip Dalidakis
Philip Dalidakis (born 25 February 1976) is a former Australian politician. He was a Labor member of the Victorian Legislative Council, representing Southern Metropolitan Region from 2014 until 2019.
Dalidakis was born in Melbourne. His father ...
in the Andrews Ministry.
At the 2018 Victorian election Somyurek was returned to his seat in the Upper House
An upper house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house.''Bicameralism'' (1997) by George Tsebelis The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smalle ...
. On 27 November 2018 Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
Daniel Andrews
Daniel Michael Andrews (born 6 July 1972) is an Australian politician serving as the 48th and current premier of Victoria since December 2014. He has been the leader of the Victorian branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) since December ...
announced that Somyurek would be rejoining the Cabinet in the new Andrews Ministry. 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
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
.
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. Somyurek subsequently won a seat.
''The Age''/Nine recordings
On 14 June 2020, ''The Age
''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
'' and Nine Network
The Nine Network (stylised 9Network, commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of five main free-to-air television netw ...
released covert recordings purporting to show Somyurek organising branch stacking
A branch, sometimes called a ramus in botany, is a woody structural member connected to the central trunk of a tree (or sometimes a shrub). Large branches are known as boughs and small branches are known as twigs. The term '' twig'' usuall ...
. 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.
Included in the numerous covert recordings, are several sections where Somyurek is heard making derogatory comments towards MPs Gabrielle Williams
Gabrielle Williams (born 27 October 1982) is an Australian politician. She has been a Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since November 2014, representing the seat of Dandenong.
Williams holds a Bachelor of Arts and a B ...
and Marlene Kairouz
Marlene Kairouz (born 2 March 1975) is an Australian politician. She has been a Labor member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 2008. She was the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation between 2016 and 2020.
Polit ...
and ministerial staffers, which have been described as sexist and homophobic.
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
Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of the Australian States and territories of Australia, state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria. It was formed in 1853 and currently operates under the ''Victoria Police Act 2013''.
, Victo ...
and the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission
The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) is Victoria's anti-corruption agency with jurisdiction over the public sector. It does this by:
* investigating serious corruption and police misconduct
* informing the public sector, ...
for further investigation. Andrews also wrote to the National Executive of the Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also simply known as Labor, is the major centre-left political party in Australia, one of two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. The party forms the f ...
(ALP) to seek the termination of Somyurek's party membership. Later that day, the Labor Party's national president, Wayne Swan
Wayne Maxwell Swan (born 30 June 1954), often colloquially referred to as Swanny, is an Australian politician who is National President of the Labor Party. He was previously the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and Deputy Leader of the Labor ...
, 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".
IBAC investigation
Somyurek was a target of Operation Watts
The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) is Victoria's anti-corruption agency with jurisdiction over the public sector. It does this by:
* investigating serious corruption and police misconduct
* informing the public sector, ...
, an investigation by Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission
The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) is Victoria's anti-corruption agency with jurisdiction over the public sector. It does this by:
* investigating serious corruption and police misconduct
* informing the public sector, ...
(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.
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.
References
External links
Parliament of Victoria – Legislative Council – The Hon Adem Somyurek MP
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Somyurek, Adem
1967 births
Living people
Australian Muslims
Members of the Victorian Legislative Council
Members of the Victorian Legislative Council for Eumemmerring Province
Members of the Victorian Legislative Council for South Eastern Metropolitan Region
Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Victoria
Democratic Labor Party (New) members of the Parliament of Victoria
Independent members of the Parliament of Victoria
Labor Right politicians
Politicians from Melbourne
Australian people of Turkish descent
Turkish emigrants to Australia
People from İzmir
Monash University alumni
Deakin University alumni
21st-century Australian politicians