LAST week was an eventful one for maverick independent MP Geoff Shaw, even by his now familiar high media profile standards.
The controversial member for Frankston managed to anger Premier Denis Napthine, cause a political dilemma for Labor Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews and still found time to launch a broadside at Frankston City Council.
Mr Shaw’s week began with Premier Napthine declaring he would not “be held to ransom” by the MP’s demands and throwing out a challenge to Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews to decide “whether he wishes to deal with the rogue MP for Frankston”.
The balance-of-power Frankston MP had said he was prepared to support a no-confidence vote against Dr Napthine and the Coalition state government, but Mr Andrews decided not to trigger the downfall of the government, instead calling Mr Shaw “a rorter” who should be expelled from parliament.
Both major parties are now pushing for Mr Shaw to be suspended from parliament after a parliamentary committee found he breached the MP code of conduct by misusing his parliamentary car for personal business reasons. The committee recommended Mr Shaw should repay more than $6800.
Amid the political drama being played out on the wider stage, the controversial MP issued a mid-week media release about plans to revamp Frankston train station which called for a “sensible approach to Frankston station precinct discussion”. The release criticised the mayor Cr Darrel Taylor’s comments on the matter as “a load of rubbish”.
Mr Shaw slammed Cr Taylor’s assertion that “$150 million of taxpayers funds” was needed to redevelop Frankston station as“completely ridiculous”. He said $13.8m worth of money “won for Frankston by my team” should have a positive impact on the station and its surrounds.
“The council may want the Taj Mahal there, but it is just not going to happen, so they should settle down,” he said.
He said Frankston did not have a large enough population to sustain a “(New York) Grand Central Station” and he reckoned “our public transport was of a very high standard” when compared to many other western nations, include the USA.
“Many of the major cities that I have travelled to cannot compare to our level of public transport. Those that complain that the station is broken, don’t make those comments based on reality.”
Mr Shaw returned from a controversial “fact finding mission” to the US late last month, partly funded by taxpayers. While overseas, Mr Shaw met American anti-abortion campaigners to discuss US abortion laws.
Mr Shaw has been pressuring the state government and Mr Napthine to tighten up Victoria’s abortion laws, which he nsees as being among “the worst in the world”.
When contacted by The Times, Cr Taylor said Mr Shaw had “misunderstood” his remarks.
“It just goes to show how out of touch Mr Shaw is with the people of Frankston,” he said.
“Everyone knows something needs to be done to improve the train station.”
Cr Taylor said the $150 million needed to revitalise Frankston’s CBD would not just be used on the station.
“Mr Shaw has not engaged council regarding issues that actually affect Frankston residents – high unemployment, the train station, the cluster of methadone clinics near the station and a lack of investment in the area.
Cr Taylor said safety had been improved at Frankston station but more needed to be done.
“The PSOs (protective services officers) and some of the landscaping around the station has led to the feeling of safety improving,” he said.
He called the government’s proposed revamp of the station – to cost $13.8 million – “highly conceptual” although admitted the money was important to the area.
“As a council, we support that refurbishment, but Frankston station should be a centrepiece of the city and not the eyesore it is now.”
A proposal by Mr Shaw to increase car parking at Kananook station to ease pressure on Frankston station (‘Go north to solve parking squeeze: MP’, The Times, 5/5/14) “has merit” according to Cr Taylor, but he said accompanying infrastructure at the station would also have to be built.
Former Frankston mayor Christine Richards has established the Frankston Community Coalition, a group of six business people who have identified six ways to revitalise the city, and their aim to make Frankston’s transport hub “attractive” tops their to-do list (‘’Gang of six’ dares to dream on station revamp’, The Times, 19/5/14).
Ms Richards was criticised by Mr Shaw in parliament on 28 May, with the Frankston MP claiming “the former mayor… is suffering from irrelevance” with a “self-proclaimed community group” who are “happy to whine and complain”.
He accused “this former mayor” of being “a talker and not a doer in her time on council, and she would rather go to the press for a whinge.”
Ms Richards, like Cr Taylor, accused Mr Shaw of being “out of touch” with his electorate.
