The Labor party will sustain serious brand damage due to the Somyurek scandal, with many politicians seemingly in the disgraced MP’s “thrall" according to Sky News host Chris Kenny.
Victoria Labor and its federal counterpart has been thrown into chaos after a damning 60 Minutes program aired a series of explosive allegations revolving around former Local Government and the Minister for Small Business Adem Somyurek.
Mr Somyurek allegedly used fraudulent donations in order to ‘stack’ local Labor branches in Victoria, in order to pre-select his favoured candidates and build his own power within the party.
The disgraced MP, who has resigned from the Labor Party after he was sacked by Daniel Andrews from the ministry on Monday, was also caught on tape saying highly denigrating comments about his colleagues and junior staffers.
Mr Kenny said the real tragedy from this scandal is it will further erode the public’s trust in politicians.
“This branch stacking caper was so big and so powerful that many MPs obviously were in Somyurek's thrall, so more heads will roll, probably starting with factional colleague Marlene Kairouz, also a minister in the Andrews government,” he said.
“The political fallout will be intense. More will play out, there will be ramifications and retaliation.
“A powerful part of the Victorian right has been caught out and will lose some of its power but for Labor generally there will be serious brand damage.
And for politics generally, it just confirms the worst impressions of many voters.”
Image: News Corp Australia
