Why no one wants to look for the Labor Party’s signature forgers
Daniel Andrews’ dismissive response to allegations that a branch associated with one of his cabinet ministers had forged the signatures of at least two dead people didn’t come as a shock in Labor circles.
“If you’ve got an allegation to make about any individual, then make it,” a combative Andrews said on Tuesday morning.
Daniel Andrews strongly defended his factional ally.Credit: Eddie Jim
While unsurprising, the premier’s response was a little curious when you compare it to his swift and brutal reaction to allegations of branch stacking within the party’s Moderate faction just three years ago.
Back then – at Andrews’ insistence – four ministers lost their jobs, including Andrews’ factional rival Adem Somyurek, who resigned his Labor Party membership after the premier and federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese moved to expel him from the party.
Andrews also instructed then-attorney-general Jill Hennessy to refer the allegations to both Victoria Police and the state’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission.
Former Labor premier Steve Bracks and ex-federal MP Jenny Macklin were also recruited to audit memberships.
While it’s true not all branch-stacking allegations are created equal, Andrews displayed indifference when responding to allegations the ALP branch associated with his factional ally Lily D’Ambrosio had been accused of forging the signatures of at least two dead people. And he said comparisons with the 2020 branch-stacking saga were not fair.
Labor types, mainly from the party’s right, were as impressed by the reaction as they were angry. As one factional foe said: “That’s classic Daniel, no one does it better.”
This time he was also aided by Albanese, who stepped in front of the premier to abruptly end the press conference as questions about the allegations were being discussed.
Perhaps Andrews’ indifference can best be explained by a confidence that these allegations won’t face the same level of scrutiny as those explored in Operation Watts – the integrity probe into allegations of misuse of electorate office and ministerial office staff for branch stacking.
Labor Party sources aggrieved by the premier’s response believe – at the very least – that Party Monitor John Thwaites should be called in to investigate. But it would first require a dispute, meaning someone would have to make a formal complaint and they would be unable to remain anonymous.
An optimistic opposition has also referred the matter to IBAC, but sources close to the integrity body believe, in the absence of more detail, the current allegations won’t reach the threshold required for the agency to be able to launch an investigation.
It’s yet another illustration of why the threshold IBAC must meet – that it must have sufficient suspicion a criminal offence has been committed – can result in broader misconduct being overlooked.
For now, the most likely outcome is that members of the Socialist Left will spend more time trying to track down the source of the leak, which comes amid some factional jostling over the appointment of a new state secretary, than finding the person responsible for forging the signatures of dead people.
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