Vic Labor seeks court order kicking out federal control as MP moves to halt bullying

Victorian Labor powerbrokers have sought a ruling in the High Court on whether a national intervention in the branch is valid. Meanwhile, a Legislative Councillor is moving to stamp out bullying and harassment in political offices.

The High Court has set a tight timeframe to hear a bid by Victorian ALP members to end national intervention in the state branch.

Labor's national executive seized control of the Victorian branch in 2020 after allegations of massive branch-stacking.

The circumstances surrounding the branch-stacking led to the departure of former Labor Right powerbroker Adem Somyurek MLC and subsequently Kashuliya Vaghela MLC. Ms Vaghela has since complained of bullying and harassment directed towards her. Both now sit as independent MLCs in the parliament, the former moving for the 'Red Shirts' branch stacking affair to be further investigated by the State Omdubsman Deborah Glass.

The Derryn Hinch's Justice Party MP for Northern Victoria, Tania Maxwell MLC, announced this week that she would move a motion to have the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission investigate bullying and harassment allegations in political offices.

Click the podcast player below to hear Ms Maxwell's reasons for moving the inquiry:

In May last year, the national executive resolved to conduct candidate preselections in 22 seats for Victoria ahead of the federal election due in May.

Health Services Union secretary Diana Asmar challenged the intervention in the Victorian Supreme Court, but it was dismissed on the basis that the court would not adjudicate on internal disputes within a political party.

The Victorian Court of Appeal determined the preselection dispute was one upon which the courts could adjudicate.

But the court concluded the initial judge was correct in finding the Victorian ALP branch was bound by the ALP's national constitution and the national executive had the power to act in the way it did.

Ms Asmar's application to expedite a High Court hearing was granted in court on Friday.

Written submissions are due by 4pm AEDT on Monday, with the applicant's reply due by noon on Tuesday.

The application will then be considered by a panel of two judges.