Labor to press for expulsion of rebel MP Geoff Shaw

LABOR has vowed not to accept a compromise strategy of suspending Victorian MP Geoff Shaw from parliament.

Labor leader Daniel Andrews says expulsion is the only option to deal with rogue MP Geoff Shaw.

VICTORIAN Opposition leader Daniel Andrews has vowed he will not accept a compromise strategy of suspending rogue MP Geoff Shaw from parliament, saying only expulsion will suffice.

Despite warnings from Premier Denis Napthine that Mr Shaw could mount a legal challenge if he was expelled, Mr Andrews today indicated he would push on with plans to move an expulsion motion when parliament resumes on Tuesday.

“I am very confident that we have sourced the best of advice,” he said in Mr Shaw’s Frankston electorate today.

“There is absolute clarity about this, the parliament can move to expel Geoff Shaw and that’s exactly what Labor will do next Tuesday.”

The Victorian government is investigating suspending Mr Shaw from parliament over the misuse of his government car and petrol card.

Labor wants Mr Shaw expelled from parliament, which would trigger a by-election in his seat of Frankston.

Dr Napthine says he’s seeking legal advice, reluctant to rush into any sanctions against Mr Shaw for fear the case could end up in the High Court.

The Premier said today the government had still not received full legal and constitutional advice on the issue.

“You’ve got to get proper advice so the parliament can deal with this appropriately,’’ Dr Napthine told Fairfax Radio.

But Mr Andrews said he would “absolutely not” back a compromise move to suspend Mr Shaw for misusing his parliamentary entitlements.

“I will do what I know is right and that is to move to expel Geoff Shaw,” he said.

“I would not put forward this significant very important step, I would not propose to go down this path if I were not absolutely confident that this can be done and that it must be done.

“Now is the time for Denis Napthine to stand up, to not be weak but to show some strength and some character.

“The time has come for Denis Napthine to end his protection racket of Geoff Shaw and act on Mr Shaw and vote with me and Labor on Tuesday to expel him from the Victorian parliament.”

Labor’s demand came after Dr Napthine today held “wideranging” private talks with Governor Alex Chernov. The Premier refused to say what was discussed.

“I meet with the Governor on a semi-regular basis,’’ he told the ABC. A spokesman earlier said today’s talks were prearranged and that the Premier had breakfast with Mr Chernov each month.

SHAW: Move to suspend rebel MP

The government was last night trying to lock in the vote of disgruntled former Speaker Ken Smith, who had pledged to back Labor in finding Mr Shaw in contempt of parliament.

Mr Smith told The Australian soon after Mr Shaw withdrew his support from the government this week that he had no intention of backing away from his demand that the maverick MP be severely punished over the rorting.

This means that any Coalition sanction of Mr Shaw would have to match or come close to matching Labor’s demand that the Frankston MP be expelled from parliament. Mr Smith also wants Mr Shaw to be found in contempt of parliament.

The Australian understands that all options are being investigated by the government, although a temporary suspension through the winter break was being actively considered to stave off a by-election before the November 29 election.

The Labor Party caucus was to meet today to debate the issue amid concerns that the precedent of expulsion for breaking car allowance rules could expose former union leaders turned MPs at risk of a similar sanction in the event of adverse findings in the royal commission into union governance and corruption.

When told by The Australian on Tuesday night that Mr Shaw had withdrawn his support for the government, Mr Smith said he would not back down from his position on the privileges committee report. “My position is still as strong as it was,’’ he said.

The government has 44 seats including the Speaker, Labor has 43 and Mr Shaw is the sole independent.

Mr Andrews yesterday again left open the option of backing a no-confidence motion in the government, but rounded on Mr Shaw, declaring that he should be expelled from the parliament.

Under this expulsion scenario, he said a by-election could be held as early as July 12 or July 19; a Labor win would lead to a deadlocked parliament of 44 Coalition and 44 Labor.

This could then involve the intervention of the Governor.

“I’m not prepared to have Geoff Shaw run our parliament and our state. It’s time to act on Geoff Shaw,’’ Mr Andrews said.

Labor late yesterday referred to the anti-corruption commission claims that Mr Shaw had previously demanded to Dr Napthine that a judicial appointment be made. Mr Shaw has reportedly denied making an approach about any judicial appointment, a claim rejected by Dr Napthine.

Nick Economou, a political scientist from Monash University, said the most likely outcome appeared to be that the government would move to suspend Mr Shaw, probably next week.

“It’s not a constitutional crisis at the moment _ it’s a political crisis,’’ he said. The government will almost certainly be able to pre-empt Labor’s expulsion move when parliament returns next week. The government will be under pressure to suspend rather then expel Mr Shaw, given the majority Coalition report of the privileges committee inquiry into his government car use found that Mr Shaw should not be found in contempt of parliament.