Corruption investigation claims state government minister

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Luke Donnellan has resigned from the Victorian cabinet following allegations during anti-corruption hearings.

Mr Donnellan has stood down from his portfolio of aged care and disability but will remain on the backbench.

It comes hours after federal Holt MP Anthony Byrne told the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) that Mr Donnellan had paid for party memberships when being quizzed about branch stacking.

He is the fourth MP forced out of cabinet as part of the secret tapes scandal centred around powerbroker Adem Somyurek.

Mr Donnellan was elected in 2002 as the MP for Narre Warren North and has been the Minister Child Protection and the Minister Disability, Ageing and Carers since December, 2018.

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The IBAC inquiry is probing allegations of serious corrupt conduct involving Victorian public officers, including MPs.

The hearings will investigate whether public officers, including MPs, are engaging in corrupt conduct while in public office by telling ministerial and electorate office staff to do party-political work while they’re being paid from public funds to do ministerial or electorate work.

The first day of the inquiry has heard an aspiring Labor politician paid $5000 to factional bosses to win a federal seat.

Labor Left's self-image as 'morally pure' could be blown away by IBAC: Hildebrand.

Labor Left's attempt to present itself as morally and ideologically pure could be blown away if IBAC has half the missionary zeal of its NSW counterpart ICAC, writes Skynews.com.au contributor Joe Hildebrand.
The corruption hearings in Victoria have exposed some shocking allegations about the behaviour of Labor powerbrokers.

IBAC has heard claims that some have engaged in branch stacking, forced various MPs to take on staff against their will and even used electorate officers for party political campaigning.

Joe Hildebrand
Skynews.com.au contributor