No further action against Shadow Treasurer David Davis after drunken gala display

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has been slammed after confirming David Davis would not be punished for drunken behaviour.

Victorian Shadow Treasurer David Davis is ‘deeply remorseful’ for drinking too much at a gala. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

No futher action will be taken against Shadow Treasurer David Davis after he got drunk at a gala dinner and was asked to leave before the function ended.

Mr Davis attended a Victorian Multicultural Commission dinner on Saturday and witnesses reported he was heavily intoxicated, allegedly falling over multiple times and repeatedly hugging attendees at the event.

He is also said to have refused to leave when asked.

The senior Liberal was at the Convention Centre event with Opposition Leader Matthew Guy, Liberal MPs and other community leaders and politicians.

Mr Guy said he would not take any further action against Mr Davis.

“At a work event like this, I expect people to have the highest standards and that wouldn’t be behaving in anyway (that is) intoxicated or getting drunk at a function like it,” he said.

“He’s apologised for it and I think that’s enough.

“He wouldn’t be the first politician to commit this sin. I’m sure he’s not the last one to commit this sin.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy with Shadow Treasurer David Davis. Picture: Sarah Matray

“I’ve expressed my disappointment to him about it as you’d expect him to, and I’d consider the matter being complete.”

On Thursday, the Shadow Treasurer refused to elaborate on which colleagues removed him from the venue.

“I’ve apologised very clearly to Matthew and he’s expressed his disappointment and I’m intending to push forward and work on my tasks on behalf of the people of Victoria,” he siad.

Asked how much he drank over the course of the night, Mr Davis said: “Well, too much but I don’t think I need to go through the micro detail of that but I did drink too much and thereby that’s my mistake.”

He added: “It’s sufficient to say that I left. I’ve done the wrong thing, I’m sorry about that. I’m regretful.

After making a public apology on Wednesday and acknowleding he “had too much to drink” Mr Davis made another statement outside parliament on Thursday.

“It’s clear I did the wrong thing on Saturday night and I’ve apologised for that. I’m quite remorseful and I understand I did the wrong thing and it was a mistake,” he said.

Liberal sources said they doubted the formal complaint would lead to any Liberal Party sanction.

But they said the incident should be a “wake up call”.

“David’s a bit wasted at every function, so I didn’t blink,” one source said.

Premier: ‘His leader can deal with him’

Premier Daniel Andrews said questions about Mr Davis’s future should be taken up with by Mr Guy.

“He’s not a member of my team. His leader can deal with him,” he said.

“If the leader of the Opposition thinks that sort of behaviour is consistent with being the alternative Treasurer of our state, you’d need to speak to him about that.”

Mr Andrews, who was also in attendance on the night of the event, said he did not witness Mr Davis’s behaviour and had not received any complaints from his MPs.

“It was a fantastic event, despite the behaviour of some,” he said.

“Words are one thing, conduct is another. I behave appropriately at events like that.

“His conduct is a matter for him, his position is a matter for his boss.”

MPs lash ‘sleazy’ behaviour

Labor Ministers on Thursday slammed Mr Guy for failing to take action against Mr Davis’s behaviour.

But Mr Guy hit back: “If I were the government MPs, I think they are probably the last ones in this building who could throw stones on this front.”

Senior Andrews government Minister Jacinta Allan said everyone deserved the right to a safe and respectful workplace.

But she said Mr Guy had failed to act as quickly as he did to condemn the behaviour of fallen Kew MP Tim Smith, who was caught up in an embarrassing drink driving scandal.

“What’s more remarkable, and even more astonishing, is the fact that it appears the leader of the leader of the Liberal party is refusing to take any action on the behaviour of Mr Davis,” she said.

“From reports, it appears that some of his own colleagues are identifying that this is a pattern of behaviour.

“Is Mr Guy seriously expecting his party room, his colleagues and indeed the broader community to accept that he is not going to take any action against a senior member of his leadership team?

“He was pretty quick off the mark to take action against Tim Smith.

“It just doesn’t pass muster that Matthew Guy isn’t going to even sit down and admonish a member of his own leadership team for his own inappropriate behaviour.”

Asked if Mr Davis should stand down, Ms Allan said: “This is really up to Matthew Guy to come out and explain why in the case of Tim Smith he took away his political career when he had clearly done a seriously wrong thing. David Davis has admitted he’s done the wrong thing and Matthew Guy seems to be prepared to do nothing to act on that matter.”

Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said MPs were “on duty” when attending these events.

“The standard for members of parliament should always be higher and to behave in the way that David Davis behaved puts him in a position of shame, and one that should not go unpunished,” she said.

“His behaviour is totally unacceptable, and from many accounts, very sleazy.”

Greens leader Samantha Ratnam, who attended the event but did not observe his behaviour, said the reports were “unacceptable”.

“We should not be tolerating that in any forum — public or private,” she said.