Victorian Minister for Women hits back at MP over ‘politically motivated attack’

Victorian Minister for Women Gabrielle Williams has hit back at Kaushaliya Vaghela, refuting allegations she bullied the rebel MP.

In Parliament on Wednesday, Ms Vaghela described the ALP factional culture as “toxic and corrosive”.

“It is broken, and badly in need of repair,” she said.

The crossbencher said that for 3½ years Ms Williams had referred to her “as a rat who cannot be trusted”.

She claimed that Ms Williams, along with Premier Daniel Andrews, participated in a systemic bullying campaign against her by seeking to undermine, isolate, and exclude her.

In a tweet on Wednesday evening, Ms Williams described the claims as politically motivated, saying: “More than 18 months ago I was the subject of a vile and vicious misogynistic tirade by Adem Somyurek, which was broadcast on national television.

“That attack is now being continued in the media and in Parliament, by proxy.

“I vehemently repudiate these politically motivated allegations.

“I will not be commenting any further at this time.”

Mr Somyurek responded, saying the tweet was a “pathetic attempt to deflect three years of systematic bullying of a woman MP”.

“I apologised immediately and lost my job,” he wrote.

“What has my private comments about you got to do with an independent women pursuing her rights?”

Ms Vaghela was a close factional ally of Mr Somyurek, who was sacked from the ministry and Labor caucus in June 2020 after The Age and 60 Minutes exposed his alleged role in an industrial-scale branch stacking operation, including his misogynistic and homophobic tirades against staffers and colleagues.

In one covert recording, he described how he intended to crush Ms Williams. “I will f---ing force her out of the ministry, that f---ing stupid bitch when Andrews goes ... She’s a stupid, stupid moll. I’m going to f---ing knock her f---ing head off. She’s a f---ing psycho bitch.”

Ms Vaghela took aim at Mr Andrews on Wednesday for not referring to her by name when previously questioned about bullying allegations, saying: “He stripped me of my name and my identity, therefore making me feel worthless.

“The fact the Premier and his Treasurer questioned my psychological wellbeing after I made my complaint public speaks volumes.”

Mr Andrews maintains the rebel MP’s bullying allegations against him are not factual, and he would never conduct himself in such a way.

Ms Vaghela resigned from the Victorian Labor Party on Monday after she crossed the floor to back Mr Somyurek’s motion to relitigate the so-called red shirts rort, in which the ALP was accused of misusing $400,000 in public funds during the 2014 election campaign.

The Labor Party moved to expel the upper house MP last month when she broke party rules by crossing the floor, and referred her to the party’s internal disputes tribunal.

Ms Vaghela previously told the Herald Sun she was scared of what the Premier would do to her after she crossed the floor, and accused him of being a misogynist, a nasty man, spiteful and a person who had a “problem with anyone ... and anyone who doesn’t hold the same views as him or doesn’t do what he wants”.

She also claimed Mr Andrews turned a blind eye to relentless bullying by one of his staffers, who was sacked late last year.

The Premier has rejected Ms Vaghela’s allegations, saying there is not a toxic culture in the Labor Party, and opposing the claim his office did not deal appropriately with a bullying allegation.

He has described it as a “fantasy without foundation” and repeatedly said the staffer was sacked.

With Sumeyya Ilanbey

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