Premier Jacinta Allan defended the culture of her caucus on Tuesday,declaring that there was no room for inappropriate behaviour in government,but said Cheeseman’s actions did not warrant a police referral.
Premier Jacinta Allan and Transport Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson gave an update at the North East Loop Watsonia site
Cheeseman was on Friday after Allan revealed there was a complaint about his behaviour. On Monday night,just hours before parliament was due to return,Allan released a statement saying she had asked Cheeseman to resign after receiving new information.
“This afternoon I received new information about further allegations of persistent,inappropriate behaviour by the member for South Barwon towards another member of staff,” Allan said.
“After inquiries by my office,and in consultation with my colleagues,tonight I asked the member for South Barwon to resign as a member of the parliamentary Labor Party – and he has done so.
“Following these new allegations,it is now clear to me that there is no place for the member for South Barwon in my government.
South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman has resigned from the parliamentary Labor Party.Supplied
“The wellbeing of staff and their right to a respectful workplace is not negotiable.”
On Tuesday,Allan took questions about Cheeseman’s alleged conduct for the second time in days,and said further complaints were brought to her office and that she was then briefed late on Monday afternoon.
“My firm focus is on the wellbeing of the staff involved,” she said.
“There’s simply no room,no room,no tolerance,for this sort of[alleged] behaviour within the government.”
Asked if her office had proactively made inquiries to check on staff following the initial complaint,Allan said:“There were steps taken to provide support to staff in various workplaces. Again,I am not going to go into those details out of my firm view that we should be respecting the right for those staff to have their privacy respected.”
Three government sources,speaking anonymously to detail confidential discussions,said Allan had addressed Cheeseman’s behaviour during a party room meeting on Tuesday,and explained to MPs the timeline of events.
Cheeseman released a statement on social media saying he intended to stay in parliament.
“A short while ago,I received a call requesting my …[resignation] from the parliamentary Labor Party. I have provided that …[resignation]. I will continue to serve the people of South Barwon as their MP,” he wrote. “This is an incredibly distressing time for me and my family and I ask our privacy to please be respected.”
Two sources said Cheeseman had been granted permission to take leave. He has also deleted his social media.
The government’s seating plan in parliament’s lower house has been amended to put him on the crossbench next to Fowles,who was asked to resign from Labor caucus in August over allegations of an alleged assault that was with no charges laid.
Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio,one of the most senior women in the Victorian government,said Cheeseman’s alleged behaviour was intolerable. She said she was one of the ministers Allan consulted before booting him from the party room.
“A second complainant has come forward and appropriate action has been taken,” D’Ambrosio said.
MP Darren Cheeseman has been booted from the Labor Party room after more allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
“It’s terrible. Such behaviour cannot be tolerated. Women need to not only feel safe,but be safe.”
Vicki Ward,the minister for the prevention of family violence,said:“The member for South Barwon has made choices. Choices have consequences.”
Minister for Women Natalie Hutchins said the premier’s actions sent a strong message not just to parliament but all workplaces.
“We won’t tolerate the sort of behaviour that’s been alleged,” Hutchins said. “I’m glad he’s no longer sitting on our side of the benches.”
Will Fowles as a Labor MP in 2022,with then-premier Daniel Andrews.Facebook
Greens leader Ellen Sandell said the government should bring forward its legislation to establish a parliamentary integrity commission.
“They’ve lost two male MPs to[alleged] inappropriate behaviour in the last year. Labor has a problem – they need to fix it.”
Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said a bill would come before parliament in due course. The integrity commission,which would have the power to investigate workplace complaints levelled at MPs,was recommended by the Victorian ombudsman and the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission as part of an unrelated 2021 investigation into the conduct of Labor staffers and MPs.
The commission was supposed to begin its work in June,but the government said its bill was and having three commissioners appointed.
Allan said she hoped the integrity commission would be established by the middle of the year,and it would be up to the future commission to determine what to investigate.
But the bill will not be retrospective,which would rule out an investigation into the complaints against Cheeseman.
Responding to questions in parliament about the culture of her party room,Allan said her government “upheld the highest of standards” and that all MPs would be held to those standards when the commission was established.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan on Tuesday.AAP
“There will be,for the first time,an opportunity for anyone to make a complaint against any member of parliament and for that to then be investigated,” she said.
Five Labor sources,speaking anonymously to discuss internal matters,said the original complaints about Cheeseman’s alleged behaviour related to persistent sexual comments towards one staffer.
Cheeseman was not alleged to have engaged in any physical contact.
Opposition Leader John Pesutto on Tuesday called on Cheeseman to resign from parliament.
Cheeseman was parliamentary secretary for the Commonwealth Games before the 2026 regional event was cancelled. In October,he was transferred to the education portfolio.
Parliamentary secretaries are MPs who assist cabinet ministers with their portfolio responsibilities,and are sometimes known as assistant ministers.
Cheeseman was a federal MP in the seat of Corangamite – which takes in parts of Geelong,the Bellarine Peninsula and the Surf Coast – from 2007 to 2013. He moved to state politics with his 2018 election to the seat of South Barwon,which covers parts of Geelong and areas to the south and west of the city.
Get the day’s breaking news,entertainment ideas and a long read to enjoy.