Reason MP Fiona Patten 'isn't sure' Adem Somyurek knows much about the electorate he's running in

Exclusive: Somyurek announced today he would run for the Democratic Labour Party in a different region to his old one.

Fiona Patten, leader of the Reason Party & Member for the Northern Metropolitan Region in Victoria, has reacted on 6 News to an announcement that ex-Labor minister Adem Somyurek would be running in her seat.

Somyurek was a member of the Labor Party up until 2020, when he was sacked as a minister then became an independent MLC.

He's represented the South-Eastern Metropolitan Region since 2006, but resigned from parliament just days ago.

However, he's since announced he's joined the Democratic Labour Party, being led by ex-Liberal MP Bernie Finn.

Patten says the DLP does "very well" when they are to the left of Labor on the upper house ballot paper, which she says contributes to people mistakenly voting for them.

"It's really curious Adem Somyurek would choose to come and visit Northern Metropolitan, I'm not sure he's been here very often," she said.

"Adem is from the south-east, I'm not sure he knows Northern Metropolitan very well."

Patten was elected as a member of the Australian Sex Party in 2014, and was re-elected in 2018.

The other current members in Northern Metro are Labor's Nazih Elasmar & Sheena Watt, the Liberal Party's Craig Ondarchie and Greens leader Samantha Ratnam.

Watch the full interview here.

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