Apologise to voters or wear the results, Geoff Shaw told

VICTORIA’S rorter MP may be ‘showing his absolute contempt’.

Suspended Frankston MP Geoff Shaw addressed an audience at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne yesterday.

SUSPENDED Victorian independent MP Geoff Shaw has been told to make a general apology to the community and his electors as well as a formal statement of ­regret to the parliament.

Victorian Premier Denis Napthine warned yesterday that Mr Shaw could be found in contempt of the parliament if he were to refuse to make appropriate amends for rorting his car and petrol allow­ances.

Dr Napthine stepped up the pressure on Mr Shaw, arguing that he will have gone too far if he fails to apologise for the scandal that has severely disrupted the government’s agenda for more than two years.

Mr Shaw played a central role in the end of the career of former premier Ted Baillieu and former Speaker Ken Smith.

Dr Napthine said yesterday that Mr Shaw “needs to have a good look in the mirror’’ as Labor continued to exploit the issue by arguing that the government has been soft on the independent for not expelling him from ­parliament.

“Clearly if he fails to apologise then the member for Frankston has gone a step too far,’’ the Premier said. “Because then he would be showing his absolute contempt to the people of Victoria, the ­people of Frankston and to the parliament itself.’’

Dr Napthine said he had not spoken to Mr Shaw since he was suspended from parliament on Wednesday for 11 sitting days, which will keep him out of the parliament until September 2.

He also faces a fine of about $6800, which he must pay on time or face a contempt of parliament charge that could lead to his ­expulsion.

Mr Smith told The Weekend Australian yesterday that the Coal­ition’s decision not to expel Mr Shaw was right.

Labor backed the expulsion of Mr Shaw, despite no one having been ejected in that manner since 1901. The weight of expert opinion was against Labor’s decision.

However, there is some pressure in the Coalition ranks to expel Mr Shaw if he fails to deliver an apology to the parliament and fails to repay the money he owes as a result of allowing his parliamentary car to be used for private gain.

The Weekend Australian understands that any apology made to the parliament would be similar to a personal explanation that would have to be approved by Speaker Christine Fyffe.

Mr Shaw would probably write down what he intended to tell the parliament and then have it ­rubber-stamped.

Coalition MPs are concerned that when Mr Shaw returns to the parliament, he will seek to disrupt proceedings and will side with Labor to disrupt the legislative agenda.

The numbers in the Victorian parliament had been 44 for the Coalition, 43 Labor and Mr Shaw.

In Mr Shaw’s absence, the numbers are 43-43, with Ms Fyffe as the Liberal Speaker with the casting vote.

Mr Shaw returned to his electorate in Frankston, about 40km south of Melbourne, on Wednesday night after being handed the toughest penalty by the parliament in the past 100 years.

The Weekend Australian has sought to interview Mr Shaw.