No police probe into complaints against sacked Labor MP
Police will not be called in to investigate mounting complaints of inappropriate behaviour from a Victorian Labor MP towards female staff despite it prompting his sacking.
Premier Jacinta Allan dumped South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman from the parliamentary Labor party late on Monday after first axing him as the parliamentary secretary for schools on Friday over initial allegations.
“Last night I asked the member for South Barwon to resign as a member of the parliamentary Labor Party and he accepted that decision and decided to resign,” she said on Tuesday.
“There’s simply no room … no tolerance for this sort of behaviour in the government.”
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan speaks during question time on Monday. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)
After earlier defending her decision to keep him in the Labor Party room, Ms Allan said she received further allegations from another staff member on Monday afternoon.
“It was repeat inappropriate behaviour, persistent and inappropriate behaviour towards staff,” she said.
Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, who is the leader of Labor’s socialist left faction of which Mr Cheeseman is a member, confirmed two women had come forward to make complaints.
“It’s terrible,” she said of learning about the allegations.
“Parliament is no different to any other workplace.”
The premier refused to disclose the exact nature of the allegations or whether the staff wanted their claims investigated further.
“The allegations are of a nature that don’t require the involvement of Victoria Police,” Ms Allan said.
The Victorian government is yet to introduce legislation to establish a parliamentary integrity commission but the body won’t have retrospective powers, meaning it will be unable to investigate past incidents.
Mr Cheeseman, a former member of federal parliament, was a no-show on Tuesday as state parliament returned from a break and did not deny the allegations in a brief statement.
“I will continue to serve the people of South Barwon as their MP,” he wrote on Facebook on Monday.
“This is an incredibly distressing time for me and my family and I ask our privacy to please be respected.”
Mr Cheeseman’s dumping will result in him sitting on the lower house crossbench with Ringwood MP Will Fowles, who was also forced to resign from Labor’s parliamentary party in August over the alleged assault of a ministerial staffer.
Mr Fowles maintains his innocence.
Former premier Daniel Andrews referred the allegation to police, with the investigation concluding in January and no charges laid.
Minister for Women Natalie Hutchins said she was glad Mr Cheeseman would no longer sit on Labor’s side of the benches.
“Women should feel safe in the workplace,” she said.
Opposition Leader John Pesutto called for Mr Cheeseman to resign from parliament.
“We’ve had two Labor MPs who are now disgraced and sit in the chamber unable to serve the constituents who live in their seats,” he said.
The Victorian branch of the Australian Labor Party has been contacted to ask if it will move to revoke Mr Cheeseman’s rank-and-file membership.
The premier would not be drawn on whether her party had a cultural problem.
State Greens leader Ellen Sandell suggested it may be necessary for male MPs to undergo mandatory training.
“Men need to be responsible for their own behaviour,” she said.
Mr Cheeseman was the member for the federal electorate of Corangamite from 2007 to 2013 and moved into state politics in 2018 after his election to the Geelong-based seat of South Barwon.
He previously served as the parliamentary secretary for community sport and the doomed 2026 Commonwealth Games before being handed the education role in October.