MEDIA STATEMENT

TAKING A STAND - INTIMIDATION AGAINST DIMITY PAUL INTIMIDATES BULLYING

COMPLAINANTS EVERYWHERE
Sunday 28 June, 2015
The signatories to this statement (below), representing a number of individuals and womens
organisations, believe there is no place for victim-intimidation in bullying complaints. Many of these
women have themselves been subject to intimidation and/or work with women who have. This
statement does not aim to comment on nor prejudice the investigation process currently being
undertaken by the Victorian Governments Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC), with regard to
the bullying allegation made against Victorian Minister, Adem Somyurek by his Chief of Staff, Dimity
Paul. Put simply, it aims to raise concern that the alleged bullying victim in this high profile case, Ms
Paul, has been the subject of various anonymous media backgrounding, most recently through an
article featured in the Herald Sun (Adviser who toppled Labor minister Adem Somyurek accused of
undermining boss, 20/6/15). Of most concern to the signatories of this statement, however, is the
message of intimidation that such cowardly allegations sends to bullying complainants everywhere,
but, in particular, to young women who dare to raise concerns about a male supervisor in a powerful
position.
This process needs to be allowed to take its natural course. Women everywhere need to be
confident that, should they muster the courage to ever raise concerns about the workplace
behaviour of their supervisor, whether theyre their manager or their minister, those concerns will
be dealt with on their merits and their character not impugned through media.
It is sad that we have not learnt anything from the treatment of our first female Premier nor our first
female Prime Minister. Contrary to the insinuations of the contributors to the Herald Sun article,
women are allowed to be ambitious, women are allowed to pursue careers in politics and women
are allowed to expect a high standard of the people they work with.
COMMENTS ATTRIBUTABLE TO Fiona McCormack, CEO, Domestic Violence Victoria (DV Vic)
When women speak out about issues concerning their safety in the workplace, they put their
reputations, financial security and future employment options at risk. Denigration of women is not
uncommon when women speak up in the home or workplace; what kind of message does this send
to other women who may be considering taking action about an unsafe work environment?
Poor reporting on issues like this diminishes the importance of womens safety in the workplace
and their right to speak out. We know that intimidation, threats, violence and abuse of women in
the home can be very isolating and we know that women can feel ashamed, powerless and
intimidated as a result. This is also true of workplaces.
SIGNATORIES TO THIS STATEMENT
1. Individuals - Hutch Hussein (Labor feminist), Lori Faraone (Co-Convenor, Victorian Labor
Womens Network, in a personal capacity) , Cr Meghan Hopper (Moreland), Cr Casey Nunn
(Hume), Mary Delahunty (former Minister for Women), Moira Rayner (former Equal
Opportunity Commissioner) and Danny Blay, former CEO, No To Violence and the Mens
Referral Service.
2. Womens organisations DV Vic, Womens Information Referral and Exchange (WIRE),
YWCA Victoria and EMILYs List.
MEDIA CONTACT: Hutch Hussein, 0438 507 103 and Fiona McCormack, DV Vic, 0409 937 800
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APPENDIX 1: Front page of Herald Sun 20 June, 2015

APPENDIX 2: Text of article in HERALD SUN

Adviser who toppled Labor minister Adem Somyurek accused of undermining boss
JAMES CAMPBELL AND MATT JOHNSTON - HERALD SUN - JUNE 19, 2015 11:30PM

THE political adviser who toppled a Labor minister over bullying allegations has been
accused of undermining her boss before lodging complaints against him.

Dimity Paul.

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The Herald Sun can reveal that Dimity Paul told friends and colleagues in the Labor Party she
thought her boss, stood-down Small Business Minister Adem Somyurek, was incompetent.
She said he was lazy, that he wasnt cut out for the role, one source said. Among her
complaints was that in some cases Mr Somyurek didnt read the briefs he was given.
Another source said Ms Paul gave a sense of, thank God she was there to guide him.
Shed make out like he couldnt put a piece of toast in the toaster.

Premier Daniel Andrews.

The claims have the potential to undermine the investigation ordered by Premier Daniel Andrews
into Mr Somyurek, which has seen him exiled from his duties. The crisis will come to a head next
week, when both Ms Paul and Mr Somyurek are set to be grilled by special investigator and former
Office of Police Integrity boss Michael Strong.

Adem Somyurek.
The Herald Sun can also reveal:
MS Paul is expected to give evidence later next week via Skype while on a monthlong holiday in Europe;
MR STRONG will interview Mr Somyurek after Ms Paul has provided evidence;
LAWYERS for Mr Somyurek will not be able to cross-examine Ms Paul; and
AN application by Mr Somyureks legal team to access Ms Pauls text messages and
emails has been rejected.
Mr Strong is probing allegations against Mr Somyureks treatment of staff, including what
Mr Andrews described as claims of threatening and intimidating behaviour.
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Dimity Paul with former PM Julia Gillard and husband Raff Ciccone.

A spokesman for the Department of Premier and Cabinet said: DPC will not be providing a
commentary on Mr Strongs inquiry.
A separate investigation by former public sector standards commissioner Peter Allen will
look at the competency of Mr Somyureks ministerial office. Questions have been raised
about the running of the office, which is led by Ms Paul as chief-of-staff. Some of the people
spoken to by the Herald Sun, including current or former friends and associates, as well as
party colleagues, said Ms Paul had come in with little experience in such a role.

Dimity Paul.

Somyureks judgment was poor in employing her, the source claimed. She was
underqualified for the job. Prior to being hired as a ministerial chief-of-staff as a 28-yearold, Ms Paul had been working at Maurice Blackburn law firm in a client liaison role. Ms Paul
got the role with some help from federal MP David Feeney, for whom Ms Paul had worked
in 2012 and 2013 in roles including media adviser. Mr Feeneys wife, Liberty Sanger, is a
principal and director at Maurice Blackburn.

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Todays revelations are the second blow to the investigation. The Herald Sun revealed
earlier this month that many Labor MPs believe the minister was the victim of a factional
stitch-up. Labor sources said Ms Paul was ambitious and an excellent networker, after
breaking into the political scene through Young Labor and Emilys List. One source who has
known Ms Paul since her time in Young Labor said he was unaware that Ms Paul was having
problems with Mr Somyurek. Another source said claims against Mr Somyurek were
surprising and believed them to be completely baseless.

No one I know had ever heard Adem had been abusive, the source said. A senior Labor
source said political offices are notoriously difficult places to work, and a great deal of
responsibility is put on a chief-of-staff. Normally the chief-of-staff is a critical link into the
department who ensures things are happening. You make sure the department responds
with facts and figures on time and in a way that matches your ministers performance. Its a
lot of hard work and you are almost invisible.
The Herald Sun contacted Ms Pauls legal representatives seeking a comment but they failed
to respond.
MOVER AND SHAKER
DIMITY Paul, the woman who has thrown the Andrews Government into chaos, has never
hidden her ambition to be an MP, friends and colleagues tell the Herald Sun. The chief-ofstaff to suspended Small Business Minister Adem Somyurek has had a rapid rise through ALP
ranks since joining Young Labor in her early 20s. Before landing the plum gig, which pays
roughly $150,000 a year, she rotated through the offices of federal Labor MPs Mike Symon
and David Feeney. A Labor Party source who has known Ms Paul for several years said she
made no secret of her ambition to join them as a federal MP.
She makes no apologies at all for wanting to be a politician, the source said. She used to
say, I want to be a politician before Im 30. Last year Ms Paul ran for Victorias Legislative
Council, but in an unwinnable spot on the ticket. She considered it an exercise in resumebuilding, another former colleague said. Mr Symon, who lost his seat of Deakin in 2013, said:
She was a good EO (electorate officer), very good around the office. She was a good staff
member to have.

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But according to a source who has known Ms Paul for several years, there were mixed
reviews about her performance after she moved to Mr Feeneys office. Another long-time
acquaintance of Ms Pauls said that she had been critical of Mr Feeneys performance.
She used to make out he wasnt across his portfolio.
Three of her associates have told the Herald Sun the criticisms were very similar to her
criticisms of Mr Somyurek. One friend, now estranged, said she had been contemptuous of
Mr Somyurek in private. She also didnt like other staff but that wasnt unusual. None of
the staff were up to her standard. Ms Paul, who was involved in student politics, is a
member of the Victorian Young Labor executive, along with another former Somyurek
staffer, Xavier Smith, and a staffer in Premier Daniel Andrews office, Xavier Williams.
The three all hail from the faction centred on the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees
Association to which Mr Somyurek also belonged until he led a breakaway earlier this year.
To be appointed chief-of-staff to a state minister at the age of 28 is highly unusual, one
source said. Her ambition at the moment is perhaps greater than her ability, one source
said.
james.campbell@news.com.au Twitter: @J_C_Campbell

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