By Cimara Pearce
LABOR Party powerbroker Hakki Suleyman has sought legal action after being terminated from his role as electorate officer for Planning Minister Justin Madden.
The father of former Brimbank Council mayor Natalie Suleyman had been suspended from his position in Mr Madden’s office following investigations into alleged interference with the council as highlighted in the Ombudsman’s report into the council in May.
Mr Suleyman was officially stood down on 5 August via a letter from the Upper House president Bob Smith.
Investigations following the release of the Ombudsman’s report cleared Mr Suleyman of breaching the electorate officers’ code of conduct.
Mr Smith said the reason Mr Suleyman had been terminated from Mr Madden’s office was because of an inability for Mr Madden and Mr Suleyman to work together.
“Mr Suleyman agreed that it was not possible for him to work in his (Madden’s) office again,” he said.
“No other opportunities are available, we don’t have the capacity to put him in another office.
“I haven’t used the Ombudsman’s report for this… but I do think that the Brimbank issue, once it raised its head, it was probably the catalyst for this.”
The Age reported last week that Mr Suleyman was taking action with the Industrial Relations Commission and the Equal Opportunity Commission for wrongful dismissal.
Mr Smith said Mr Suleyman was well within his rights to take action but the Parliament would stand firm behind its decision to sack him.
“He’s entitled to take it wherever he feels he can – it is his right,” Mr Smith said.
“We investigated thoroughly and ensured he was treated quite fairly in all this and he and his lawyer were consulted.
“I think while it’s an unsatisfactory outcome for Hakki, it’s just not possible for him to work in an office.”
Star made several attempts to contact Mr Suleyman’s lawyer but phone calls were not returned before deadline.
