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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Denis Napthine: I will not be held to ransom by Geoff Shaw | Denis Napthine: I will not be held to ransom by Geoff Shaw |
| (3 months later) | |
| Victorian premier Denis Napthine says he will not be held to ransom by Geoff Shaw after the maverick MP threatened to vote with Labor to bring down the state's Coalition government. | Victorian premier Denis Napthine says he will not be held to ransom by Geoff Shaw after the maverick MP threatened to vote with Labor to bring down the state's Coalition government. |
| Napthine said he refused to agree to what he described as Shaw's "ludicrous" demands for an absolute assurance that parliament would not seek to sanction him further for breaching the MPs code of conduct. | Napthine said he refused to agree to what he described as Shaw's "ludicrous" demands for an absolute assurance that parliament would not seek to sanction him further for breaching the MPs code of conduct. |
| "We will continue to govern in the best interest of all Victorians," the premier said on Tuesday night. "I, as premier, will not be held to ransom by some rogue MP from Frankston." | "We will continue to govern in the best interest of all Victorians," the premier said on Tuesday night. "I, as premier, will not be held to ransom by some rogue MP from Frankston." |
| Napthine then kicked the ball back into Labor's court by challenging the Labor opposition leader, Daniel Andrews, to join up with Shaw. | Napthine then kicked the ball back into Labor's court by challenging the Labor opposition leader, Daniel Andrews, to join up with Shaw. |
| "It is now up to Daniel Andrews, as the leader of the opposition, as to whether he wishes to do a deal with the rogue MP from Franskton. | "It is now up to Daniel Andrews, as the leader of the opposition, as to whether he wishes to do a deal with the rogue MP from Franskton. |
| "Whether he wants to accept the vote of Mr Shaw and how he wishes to proceed." | "Whether he wants to accept the vote of Mr Shaw and how he wishes to proceed." |
| Andrews in turn said that had not decided whether to move a no confidence motion. He said he would meet the premier on Wednesday morning and hoped his rival would go with him to see governor Alex Chernov to seek advice on how to solve what he terms an "unprecedented constitutional crisis". | |
| "Tonight and the coming days is not for political gamesmanship," Mr Andrews told reporters. | "Tonight and the coming days is not for political gamesmanship," Mr Andrews told reporters. |
| Shaw earlier accused the government of encouraging the former speaker he helped oust, Ken Smith, to cross the floor and support Labor in its move to find Shaw in contempt of parliament for misusing his parliamentary car. | Shaw earlier accused the government of encouraging the former speaker he helped oust, Ken Smith, to cross the floor and support Labor in its move to find Shaw in contempt of parliament for misusing his parliamentary car. |
| "I have sought out assurances from the premier that this will not be allowed to happen so that I can serve out my term for the people of Frankston," he told ABC Radio on Tuesday. | "I have sought out assurances from the premier that this will not be allowed to happen so that I can serve out my term for the people of Frankston," he told ABC Radio on Tuesday. |
| "This assurance hasn't been given, and really I don't trust (the coalition) any more, and I will support a no-confidence motion in the premier and the government. | "This assurance hasn't been given, and really I don't trust (the coalition) any more, and I will support a no-confidence motion in the premier and the government. |
| "Life will go on." | "Life will go on." |
| The Liberal-turned-independent holds the balance of power in the Legislative Assembly. | The Liberal-turned-independent holds the balance of power in the Legislative Assembly. |
| A parliamentary privileges committee report, dominated by Coalition MPs, last week found Shaw had breached the MP code of conduct by misusing his parliamentary vehicle and said he should repay more than $6,000. | A parliamentary privileges committee report, dominated by Coalition MPs, last week found Shaw had breached the MP code of conduct by misusing his parliamentary vehicle and said he should repay more than $6,000. |
| It recommended no further punishment for the Frankston MP, angering Labor MPs and Smith. | It recommended no further punishment for the Frankston MP, angering Labor MPs and Smith. |
| Smith has said he will support Labor's contempt motion, which if successful would put Shaw's immediate political future in doubt. | Smith has said he will support Labor's contempt motion, which if successful would put Shaw's immediate political future in doubt. |
| The Victorian parliament is due to sit again next Tuesday. | The Victorian parliament is due to sit again next Tuesday. |
| "Both sides have wanted to muzzle me for over three years. Both sides want me out, so I have had a continuation of three years of harassment from both sides, plus the media," Mr Shaw said. | "Both sides have wanted to muzzle me for over three years. Both sides want me out, so I have had a continuation of three years of harassment from both sides, plus the media," Mr Shaw said. |
| "The government has shown they can't control one of their own, and it wouldn't surprise me if the government have had Ken Smith actually do that himself. | "The government has shown they can't control one of their own, and it wouldn't surprise me if the government have had Ken Smith actually do that himself. |
| "But it's good to have another voice in parliament, another independent voice in parliament, and at least Ken Smith has had the courage to speak up." | "But it's good to have another voice in parliament, another independent voice in parliament, and at least Ken Smith has had the courage to speak up." |
| Shaw said he believed part of the reason both Labor and the coalition want him removed from the parliament is his proposed private member's bill aimed at tightening Victoria's abortion laws, arguing that "any Australian child with a heartbeat should not be killed". | Shaw said he believed part of the reason both Labor and the coalition want him removed from the parliament is his proposed private member's bill aimed at tightening Victoria's abortion laws, arguing that "any Australian child with a heartbeat should not be killed". |
| He took a 15-day, partly taxpayer-funded trip to the United States that included a review of abortion legislation in several American states. | He took a 15-day, partly taxpayer-funded trip to the United States that included a review of abortion legislation in several American states. |
| "Both sides want me out. Both sides don't want me to talk about the abortion issue," he said. | "Both sides want me out. Both sides don't want me to talk about the abortion issue," he said. |
| Shaw said he did not know if he would be in parliament before the state election on November 29. | Shaw said he did not know if he would be in parliament before the state election on November 29. |
| "That's up to people, unfortunately, in parliament. In this whole saga, the only thing that suffers is democracy," he said. | "That's up to people, unfortunately, in parliament. In this whole saga, the only thing that suffers is democracy," he said. |
| "The people of Frankston, from what I hear, will be left without a member of parliament and without someone to represent them. | "The people of Frankston, from what I hear, will be left without a member of parliament and without someone to represent them. |
| "Now, I don't think that's true democracy." | "Now, I don't think that's true democracy." |