Post by True Colours on Sep 18th, 2013 at 9:12am
MP they call 'loaded dog of Spring St'
He has been described as a lightning-rod for controversy, a journalist-hater and the ''loaded dog of Spring Street''.
For a man who claims not to read newspapers, independent Frankston MP Geoff Shaw has certainly attracted a lot of unfavourable headlines.
His two-and-a-half years in state Parliament have been dogged with controversy and Tuesday was no exception...
Making a scene: Shaw simulated masturbation in parliament, and was accused of shouting 'wanker' at the opposition...
In his maiden speech in State Parliament the evangelical Christian acknowledged God - rather than Aborigines - as ''the original owner of the land''.
In 2011 Mr Shaw sent an offensive letter to a young gay man, suggesting his desire to love whomever he wanted was akin to a dangerous driver's urge to speed or a sex offender's desire to molest children.
He hung a hand-drawn sign on a local road, pleading for his ex-wife and the mother of his four children, Sally, to forgive him.
''Please forgive me. I love you Sally,'' the sign read.
But the real damage emerged when it was alleged that Mr Shaw had inappropriately used his taxpayer-funded car.
An investigation by Ombudsman George Brouwer released in October found that Mr Shaw used his parliamentary Ford Territory to run his hardware business.
The MP and his employees allegedly used the car and $1250 of taxpayer funded petrol, to make deliveries in Victoria, NSW and South Australia.
He cropped up in headlines again when he made a lewd gesture, simulating masturbation, in State Parliament and shouted ''wanker'' at the opposition.
His decision to quit the parliamentary Liberal Party in March and become an independent triggered the demise of Ted Baillieu.
The unpredictable MP holds the balance of power and has raised the prospect of quitting politics before next year's election, fuelling anxiety about the Napthine government's feeble grip on power.
The Frankston accountant has also expressed a desire to return to the parliamentary Liberal Party after he is exonerated from the ''bullcrap inquiries''.
It was revealed in The Age last week that Mr Shaw had also been in talks with Clive Palmer about his fledgling party.
He is not a fan of the media, and calls many journalists ''vultures''.
''We will win the seat of Frankston again no matter how much rubbish you guys want to throw at me personally,'' he told Fairfax Media almost a year ago, when he was still a Liberal MP.
He holds the seat of Frankston by a slender margin of 2.1 per cent, beating Labor's Alistair Harkness at the 2010 election.
The state opposition has repeatedly said that the Napthine government is beholden to Mr Shaw and relies on his tainted vote.
Labor MP Martin Pakula has described Mr Shaw as the ''loaded dog of Spring Street'', referring to Henry Lawson's short story...
August 2011 Becomes involved in scuff le with a driver who had been pulled over by police and was arguing with the police officer.
May 2012 Then premier Ted Baillieu orders an investigation into Shaw's use of taxpayer-funded car and fuel cards, with allegations the car and fuel cards were used repeatedly for Shaw's private hardware business.
October 12, 2012 Ombudsman finds Shaw inappropriately used his parliamentary vehicle for commercial purposes.
October 24, 2012 Calls Labor MPs wankers
March 6, 2013 Quits Liberal Party, triggering premier Ted Baillieu's downfall. May 2013 Repays $1250 to Parliament as "a gesture of goodwill".
August 16, 2013 Tells the Australian Financial Review that he wants to rejoin Liberal Party
September 2013 Meets Clive Palmer and “indicates interest” in his Palmer United Party.
September 11, 2013 Fronts privileges committee.
September 17, 2013 Charged by police on 23 counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception and one count of misconduct in public office.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/mp-they-call-loaded-dog-of-spring-st-20130917-2txdb.html
He has been described as a lightning-rod for controversy, a journalist-hater and the ''loaded dog of Spring Street''.
For a man who claims not to read newspapers, independent Frankston MP Geoff Shaw has certainly attracted a lot of unfavourable headlines.
His two-and-a-half years in state Parliament have been dogged with controversy and Tuesday was no exception...
Making a scene: Shaw simulated masturbation in parliament, and was accused of shouting 'wanker' at the opposition...
In his maiden speech in State Parliament the evangelical Christian acknowledged God - rather than Aborigines - as ''the original owner of the land''.
In 2011 Mr Shaw sent an offensive letter to a young gay man, suggesting his desire to love whomever he wanted was akin to a dangerous driver's urge to speed or a sex offender's desire to molest children.
He hung a hand-drawn sign on a local road, pleading for his ex-wife and the mother of his four children, Sally, to forgive him.
''Please forgive me. I love you Sally,'' the sign read.
But the real damage emerged when it was alleged that Mr Shaw had inappropriately used his taxpayer-funded car.
An investigation by Ombudsman George Brouwer released in October found that Mr Shaw used his parliamentary Ford Territory to run his hardware business.
The MP and his employees allegedly used the car and $1250 of taxpayer funded petrol, to make deliveries in Victoria, NSW and South Australia.
He cropped up in headlines again when he made a lewd gesture, simulating masturbation, in State Parliament and shouted ''wanker'' at the opposition.
His decision to quit the parliamentary Liberal Party in March and become an independent triggered the demise of Ted Baillieu.
The unpredictable MP holds the balance of power and has raised the prospect of quitting politics before next year's election, fuelling anxiety about the Napthine government's feeble grip on power.
The Frankston accountant has also expressed a desire to return to the parliamentary Liberal Party after he is exonerated from the ''bullcrap inquiries''.
It was revealed in The Age last week that Mr Shaw had also been in talks with Clive Palmer about his fledgling party.
He is not a fan of the media, and calls many journalists ''vultures''.
''We will win the seat of Frankston again no matter how much rubbish you guys want to throw at me personally,'' he told Fairfax Media almost a year ago, when he was still a Liberal MP.
He holds the seat of Frankston by a slender margin of 2.1 per cent, beating Labor's Alistair Harkness at the 2010 election.
The state opposition has repeatedly said that the Napthine government is beholden to Mr Shaw and relies on his tainted vote.
Labor MP Martin Pakula has described Mr Shaw as the ''loaded dog of Spring Street'', referring to Henry Lawson's short story...
August 2011 Becomes involved in scuff le with a driver who had been pulled over by police and was arguing with the police officer.
May 2012 Then premier Ted Baillieu orders an investigation into Shaw's use of taxpayer-funded car and fuel cards, with allegations the car and fuel cards were used repeatedly for Shaw's private hardware business.
October 12, 2012 Ombudsman finds Shaw inappropriately used his parliamentary vehicle for commercial purposes.
October 24, 2012 Calls Labor MPs wankers
March 6, 2013 Quits Liberal Party, triggering premier Ted Baillieu's downfall. May 2013 Repays $1250 to Parliament as "a gesture of goodwill".
August 16, 2013 Tells the Australian Financial Review that he wants to rejoin Liberal Party
September 2013 Meets Clive Palmer and “indicates interest” in his Palmer United Party.
September 11, 2013 Fronts privileges committee.
September 17, 2013 Charged by police on 23 counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception and one count of misconduct in public office.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/mp-they-call-loaded-dog-of-spring-st-20130917-2txdb.html