The Liberal-turned-independent member for Frankston in the Victorian Legislative Assembly, Geoff Shaw, has used his own vote to survive an attempt by Premier Denis Napthine to have him expelled from the Parliament.
Shaw issued an apology to the Assembly on September 2 but Napthine gave notice of a motion of expulsion after Shaw described the proceedings as “a political farce”.
Today, Napthine moved the motion to expel Shaw. Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews led all the ALP members out of the chamber and six government members spoke on the motion before a vote was taken. With the Speaker not able to vote, the result was tied and Shaw cast his vote against the motion.
It isn’t clear just what Napthine thought he would gain from the doomed attempt to expel Shaw. Media reports say government members have been critical of the decision to bring on the motion. Some members of the coalition depicted Shaw as a creature of the ALP, following its reversal of its earlier position in favour of expulsion.
There are six sitting days left before the November election.
Watch a Channel 7 report (3m)
