Crucial vote looms on Victorian rebel MP Geoff Shaw

LABOR will move next week to expel MP Geoff Shaw from Victoria’s parliament, in a move that could bring the state’s political crisis to a head.

Premier Denis Napthine says he won’t be held to ransom by Geoff Shaw.

LABOR will move next Tuesday to expel rebel independent MP Geoff Shaw from Victoria’s parliament, in a move that could bring the state’s political crisis to a head.

Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews today pledged to move the motion in parliament to expel Mr Shaw and force a by-election in his Frankston seat.

A by-election could be held in July, according to advice from the parliament.

Labor called on the government to back the motion, but Premier Denis Napthine refused to commit to supporting it and said he had sought legal advice, warning any extreme punishment could end up facing a High Court challenge.

The man at the centre of the storm, Mr Shaw, called for everyone to “calm down”.

Labor’s move came as it again left open the option of a no-confidence motion in the Liberal-led minority government.

It also came as Dr Napthine refused calls to meet the Labor leader over the crisis, which threatens to force Victoria to an early election.

Mr Shaw, who holds the balance of power, last night dumped his support for the minority Napthine government and pledged to back Labor in any no-confidence motion in the administration.

Mr Shaw’s decision was caused by a bitter row over a motion designed to find him guilty of contempt of parliament over his misuse of his taxpayer-funded car and petrol card.

Mr Andrews says should Mr Shaw be found in contempt of parliament for misusing his parliamentary car and expelled from parliament, the independent MP’s call for a no-confidence vote against the Napthine government would no longer be relevant.

“I’m not prepared to have Geoff Shaw run our state,’’ Mr Andrews told reporters, as he ruled out any deals with the independent.

Mr Andrews said the government should support the expulsion.

“If there is the votes on the floor of the house to expel Mr Shaw then we can deal with him once and for all and we can end this circus, we can end this chaotic, dysfunctional, just nonsense that holds us back and I think damages our state,’’ Mr Andrews said.

“If I have my way, if there’s a majority on the floor of the house, then Geoff Shaw will not be in the parliament any longer.

“Therefore discussions about confidence arising from Mr Shaw’s lack of confidence in the premier are no longer relevant.’’

Dr Napthine said he hoped to receive legal advice before parliament resumes on Tuesday, when Labor has promised to put up its contempt motion against Mr Shaw.

“He is a wrongdoer, he has rorted the system and he needs to be held to account for that and we will make sure he is held to account, but we don’t want the parliament to rush into a decision that ends up in the High Court and Mr Shaw walking away on a technicality,” Dr Napthine said.

“We want to make sure that he pays the price.

“We don’t want Mr Shaw running off with QCs to the High Court to try and get out of paying the price for his wrongful actions.”

Dr Napthine said Labor had misunderstood constitutional advice previously and it was important to take a careful approach to Mr Shaw’s punishment for misusing parliamentary entitlements.

“What they’re seeking to do is score cheap political points rather than taking a considered approach, a proper approach to effectively and genuinely deal with a member of parliament who has done the wrong thing, who has misused his entitlements and needs to have an appropriate punishment,” he said.

“That punishment needs to be a punishment that is genuinely enforceable.”

Dr Napthine would not be drawn on whether he would support a motion to force Mr Shaw from parliament, or what else could be an appropriate penalty.

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Mr Shaw today avoided journalists and instead sent out a staffer to read a statement on his behalf.

“Given the hysteria around recent events we just wish for this to calm down before we make any further statement,’’ Shaw staffer Simeon Lawson said outside the MP’s Frankston electorate office.

Mr Andrews earlier called on the government to guarantee debate of the issue, with former Liberal speaker Ken Smith vowing to vote with Labor to have Mr Shaw found in contempt and possibly suspended.

Any removal of Mr Shaw would guarantee the political crisis enveloping the government would run for many weeks.

Speaker Christine Fyffe may have to vote with the government on contentious issues because of the numbers on the floor of the minority parliament.

Mr Shaw currently holds the balance of power in the 88-seat Legislative Assembly, with the numbers falling 43 to Labor and 44 to the Coalition and Mr Shaw.

Mr Andrews last night called on the Liberal leader to join him in meeting Governor Alex Chernov today to seek advice on how to resolve the state’s constitutional crisis.

But Mr Napthine refused Mr Andrews’ request to meet to discuss the issue, instead deciding to campaign in marginal seats country in regional Victoria.

Mr Andrews said the Premier has rejected a chance to discuss how to bring stability to the government.

“I think it was an appropriate opportunity to sit down as adults and discuss one-on-one in a quite a reasonable and rational way how we can bring some stability to this chaotic government and this chaotic parliament,” he told ABC radio.

“Apparently he can run to country Victoria and this will all go away.’’

Mr Andrews said that Mr Shaw’s word could not be taken as gospel.

“Geoff Shaw changes his mind a lot,’’ he told ABC Radio.

“The government is chaotic, the parliament is chaotic, this chaos has been here for a long time.’’

Mr Andrews again refused to rule out accepting Mr Shaw’s vote in any vote of no confidence in the government.

Dr Napthine said in a statement this morning that Labor was adding to the chaos.

“The Coalition government intends to get on with governing in the best interests of Victoria, regardless of Daniel Andrew’s continued attempts to disrupt the parliament and block or delay important legislation, simply for his own political advantage,’’ he said.

“The prime source of disruption in the parliament has been Daniel Andrews.

“If Mr Andrews had the best interests of Victorians at heart, he and the Labor Party would debate legislation on its merits and seek to put forward constructive alternative policies, instead of repeatedly attempting to block the business of the parliament and delay and prevent the passage of good laws.

Tony Abbott said today Mr Napthine’s government was strong and competent and should “just get on with governing’’.

Mr Napthine said under the longstanding traditions of the Westminster system it was totally inappropriate for political leaders to seek to involve the governor in political disputes.

“As such, I do not be intend to provide any credence to Mr Andrews’ attempt to draw the Governor into his campaign of disruption.’’

Mr Chernov yesterday met Mr Andrews at Government House and discussed the crisis crippling the government, which faces the polls on November 29.

Mr Andrews says Labor will pass the Napthine government’s budget but has refused to be drawn on whether Labor will move a motion of no confidence, which with Mr Shaw’s backing could force a vote on the government’s future this month.

Under the state’s constitution, if any no-confidence motion is passed and a vote of confidence in the premier and the government is not passed eight days later, the Legislative Assembly can be dissolved.

Dr Napthine last night savaged Mr Shaw and challenged Labor to accept Mr Shaw’s vote next week.

He accused Mr Shaw of making unreasonable demands to ensure that a vote was not held next week on whether to find him in contempt for rorting his parliamentary car and petrol -allowances.

He also accused Mr Shaw of previously demanding that a judicial appointment be made on Mr Shaw’s recommendation.

“I can’t be held to ransom for those sorts of outrageous demands. From time to time, Mr Shaw has made other demands of the government, which we have not accepted,’’ he said.

“That is outrageous, that is extreme, that is ludicrous, that is not tolerated by me as Premier — it would not be tolerated by the people of Victoria. And we say no to Mr Shaw.’’

Mr Andrews said that Labor was ready to go to the polls. “I am ready to give Victorians a choice,’’ he said.

He said there wasn’t any doubt that there was a constitutional crisis and a joint meeting for both leaders with the Governor was the right way forward, although convention is that the governor of the day takes the advice of the government.

Mr Andrews said the opposition would not deal directly with Mr Shaw and the separate debate on whether Mr Shaw was in contempt of parliament for misusing his parliamentary car and petrol card should still be debated.

He vowed to refer to the anti-corruption commission claims that Mr Shaw had a sought from the government a judicial appointment for a third party.

The extraordinary events come after three and a half years of turmoil in the government, which involved a change of premier and intensified in March last year when Mr Shaw quit the Liberal-Nationals government and turned independent.

Mr Shaw was last year found to have rorted his parliamentary car and petrol card for his private business use, but police fraud charges were dropped.

Mr Shaw has said that he wants to contest the next election as an independent.