Hakki Suleyman, the father of St Albans MP Natalie Suleyman, was employed at a federal labor MPs office without any requirement to turn up, a hearing into branch stacking has heard.
On Tuesday, former Labor MP Adem Somyurek gave evidence at the Victorian Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission inquiry into branch stacking and was questioned about the employment of Mr Suleyman.
Mr Somyurek quit the labor party last year after claims of branch stacking.
Mr Somyurek admitted he put some pressure on federal MP Anthony Byrne to hire Mr Suleyman and that it was “completely factional”.
Mr Somyurek had previously sought to employ Mr Suleyman at his office, but the Department of Parliamentary Services indicated that wasn’t possible.
He denied though that he made the call that Mr Suleyman didn’t have to attend the office of Mr Byrne.
“I wasn’t happy that I was putting an ask on someone, and I actually wanted him to rock up by train or whatever it was from where he lives. I actually wanted him to go through that discomfort of going to Fountain Gate,” he said at the hearing.
