Former Victorian minister Marlene Kairouz could face expulsion from Labor's ranks after her initial answers to a branch-stacking audit failed to satisfy party stalwarts.
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Marlene Kairouz has been issued a show-cause notice by audit administrators Steve Bracks and Jenny Macklin, who have already purged the party of 1700 "non-genuine" members.
The high-profile duo is digging deeper into the scandal, with former powerbroker Adem Somyurek accused of handing over cash and using parliamentary employees to create fake branch members and amass political influence.
A factional ally of Mr Somyurek, Ms Kairouz and fellow minister Robin Scott resigned from cabinet in June after their staff were implicated in his alleged branch-stacking efforts.
All three are under investigation as part of a joint probe between the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission and Victorian Ombudsmen.
Ms Kairouz has vowed to clear her name and was offered the opportunity to respond to the party elders in a questionnaire.
Despite legal advice to the contrary, the ex-minister for consumer affairs, gaming and liquor regulation returned the form only to be chastised.
"The administrators were not satisfied with my responses and issued a show cause letter due to my responses being deemed to be 'non-responsive answers that have done little to assist us'," she said in a statement on Wednesday.
Ms Kairouz explained she was told to keep her answers "succinct" to avoid inadvertently impeding the ongoing corruption watchdog probe.
"My responses to the questionnaire were prepared in good faith," she said.
The state member for Kororoit in Melbourne's outer west insists the Labor Party is not accusing her of branch stacking.
"I am disappointed that my attempts to co-operate with this investigation have not been interpreted as such," she said.
After consultation with IBAC, Ms Kairouz said she had provided more information to Mr Bracks and Ms Macklin, who are due to finish up in their roles at the end of January.
Ms Kairouz will be booted from the party and forced to sit on the crossbench, effectively ending her political career, if the allegations of misconduct are not properly addressed, The Age reports.
Asked if he believed she would stay in the fold, Victorian Labor leader and Premier Daniel Andrews said: "I'm not briefed on either of those processes and I really can't offer any comment on them."
Australian Associated Press
