Crisis talks on Geoff Shaw fail to break stalemate

FORMER Victorian speaker Ken Smith last night refused to back the Napthine government over rebel independent Geoff Shaw.

FORMER Victorian Speaker Ken Smith last night refused to back the Napthine government over rebel independent Geoff Shaw as senior ministers held ­crisis talks to shore up the ­embattled administration.

Mr Smith told The Australian he was still open to backing Labor’s attempts to have Mr Shaw expelled from parliament when it resumes this week.

He said he had held talks with the government over the weekend but they had failed to break the impasse over Mr Shaw’s punishment, with a final outcome on Mr Shaw’s fate still potentially days away.

A sense of deep uncertainty was infecting the government last night, with Premier Denis Napthine failing to face the media for several days.

The timing of when the government acts to punish Mr Shaw is believed to be central to Dr Napthine’s concerns.

Labor is expected to seek leave today to have the expulsion motion debated by the parliament, although the government can reject the opposition’s demand.

This would leave the government free to move its own motion, probably after the budget is passed either today or tomorrow.

Mr Smith said the government had not offered him an olive branch and the electorate would have to wait until today — at least — before finding out what will happen to Mr Shaw.

“Where they’re at (the government) is I’ll be looking at everything that will be on the table tomorrow,’’ he said. “I haven’t got a fixed position at this stage.’’

Mr Smith has threatened to vote with Labor to have Mr Shaw expelled, forcing a likely by-election that could trigger the downfall of the government.

The caveat is that the government finds a punishment for Mr Shaw that will satisfy Mr Smith sufficiently to prevent him siding with Labor.

The government broadly does not believe Mr Shaw deserves to be expelled but does believe he deserves to be punished.

Mr Shaw was found to have misused his parliamentary car and petrol allowance for personal gain, sparking police, ombudsman and privileges committee ­investigations.

Labor wants Mr Shaw found in contempt of the parliament and expelled, which — if successful — would be the first such move since 1901.

Mr Smith also wants Mr Shaw to face the same punishment, putting extra pressure on the government to toughen its stand on the Member for Frankston.

For the first time yesterday, Labor indicated it believed the government would have the ­capacity to govern up until the November 29 election.

November 29 is a fixed four- year date.