Geoff Shaw’s ‘joke apology’ fails to cut it for Napthine

VICTORIAN  Premier Denis Napthine has demanded suspended independent MP Geoff Shaw make a genuine apology to parliament.

VICTORIAN  Premier Denis Napthine has demanded suspended independent MP Geoff Shaw make a genuine apology to parliament and voters before being allowed to remain in office.

Dr Napthine yesterday dismissed a comedy-show apology by Mr Shaw as unacceptable and called on him to carefully consider what he says before addressing parliament.

Mr Shaw was widely reported at a comedy-show evening last week discussing his suspension but government figures believe his comments fall well short of what is expected of the rebel independent.

“I think it’s appropriate it was at a comedy show,” Dr Napthine said yesterday.

“I think it was a bit of a joke. He needs to be genuinely ­remorseful, genuinely apologetic to the people of Frankston, the people of ­Victoria and the parliament.”

Any formal apology by Mr Shaw will be crucial to him avoiding being expelled from parliament after he was found to have rorted his parliamentary car and petrol allowances.

He was last week handed the longest suspension from ­parliament in a century, forced to stay away from parliament for 11 sitting days, or up until September 2.

Mr Shaw appeared on stage in the same week that he was suspended from the parliament amid acrimony and attempts by Labor to have him expelled.

The government wants Mr Shaw to make two apologies — one to parliament and another, broad apology to the community — and to repay more than $6800 for the misuse of his parliamentary car.

Senior Liberals have told The Australian that Mr Shaw will be ­expelled if he fails to deliver on parliament’s demand that he ­apologise and repay the money.

Mr Shaw is believed to have been confused about exactly what is required from him in order to ­remain in parliament until the ­November 29 election.

It appears Mr Shaw will ­struggle to hold on to his marginal southern Melbourne seat of Frankston and he has raised the spectre of not contesting as an ­independent if he is unable to be competitive in his bid for re-­election.

Mr Shaw has withdrawn his support from the government and has said he will back Labor in any no-confidence motion to bring down the government.