In business, Australia’s Competition and Consumer Act section 44ZZRD/45 prohibits contracts, arrangements or understandings containing a provision which has the purpose, effect or likely effect of substantially lessening competition.

But in Australian parliament, the LibLab cartel is out of control.  Ordinary Australians must realise that Liberal and Labor will do anything to hold on to market share, aka power.

Take the current LibLab targeting of independent Geoff Shaw in the Victorian Parliament. Melbourne outer southern suburb of Frankston remains long-term held by locally elected MP Geoff Shaw, a respected and qualified local accountant since 2002.

But after Shaw smelt bad Liberal leadership, and despite his any challenges Shaw resigned from the Victorian Liberal Party in March 2013 to become an Independent MP.

On doing so, Shaw has experienced the weight of a coordinated political cartel targeting him personally by both the Liberal and Labor parties and their supporting corporate media.

Shaw’s outspokenness on issues religiously conservative and his personal record have drawn him into controversy.  Irrespective of the merits or otherwise of Shaw’s political views, it was Shaw’s moral courage and integrity to not support previous premier Ted Baillieu, that has drawn retributive vengeance against him personally by the Liberal Party.  The political antagonism is almost Jihadi.

Shaw resigned from the Liberal Party (family) citing his lack of confidence in the Liberal government’s leadership (Ted Baillieu) as his reason.

Victorian Independent MP, Geoff Shaw – standing for Parliamentary integrity

His resignation reduced the government’s two-seat majority to just one.  It was the marginal power issue that concerned self-centred Liberals more than Shaw’s lack of support in Ballieu.  Had the Liberal majority been greater over Labor, the Shaw controversy would not have had air.  Which shows that the whole Shaw thing is fabricated out of Liberal contracted communications spin and the Liberal-supporting spin media, aka Fairfax/News Ltd.

Labor is just tapping into a Liberal weakness and is smelling electoral opportunity. So Labor wants Shaw out as much as the Libs.

But Baillieu had become indecisive, electorally unpopular and all but an embarrassing Joan Kirner.  Retired Liberal premier Jeff Kennett was not shy in his condemnation of Baillieu in the media for poor communication of policy and direction.

Kennett in December 2013 stated:  “The reality is the public still think the Baillieu government isn’t doing enough. Ted is failing to communicate in a way the public understand. His government is reacting rather than leading.”

Baillieu was then in March 2013 rocked by an integrity scandal over secret tapes recording of impropriety regarding the Liberal Victorian government’s anti-corruption body, the Office of Police Integrity (OPI) and its unhealthy dealings and payouts.

The secret tapes which became public by the Herald Sun exposed confidential dealings and payouts behind the police command crisis will be referred to the Government’s new. Premier Ted Baillieu’s  chief of staff, Tony Nutt, was heard on the tapes criticising the  and offering to help former government adviser Tristan Weston a job.

Mr Weston – who quit in the wake of the OPI report into the split between top cops Simon Overland and Sir Ken Jones – was also paid $22,500 by the Liberal Party in a deal signed off by director of the Liberal Party’s Victorian division, Damien Mantach.

Critically, Premier Baillieu on learning of this had chosen not to dismiss Tony Nutt.

Baillieu:  “I have great confidence in Tony Nutt.”  The premier stood by his claims on 3AW in July last year when he was questioned about a staff member trying to help Mr Weston a job.  “I said I was unaware of it, and I stand by the answer I gave at that time,” he said.

Shaw did not support Baillieu and on March 6, 2013 Baillieu resigned as Victorian Premier.

Shaw stated: “I believe my actions reflect the general loss of confidence Victorians are feeling in the leadership of the government.”

Shaw has since refused to ensure supply for the Liberal Victorian government.  Geoff Shaw accused Liberal-installed Premier Dr Denis Napthine of trying to silence him.

Incoming Napthine, like Macbeth has desired Shaw’s blood., just to get back at him for Baillieu’s sword falling.  Napthine has since anointment, dedicated more hate energy attacking and condemning Shaw, than in running Victoria.  Napthine has ordered the Victoria Police to investigate Shaw for an alleged misuse of Shaw’s parliamentary vehicle and fuel card.

Julia Gillard and Barry O’Farrell, would in hindsight welcome such meagre allegations.

The house that slush built

Read More:  http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2013/04/the-sums-are-awfully-heroic-on-ms-gillards-abbotsford-house-she-appears-to-have-been-stretched-finan.html

It is all a beat up by a vengeful Napthine frustrated that he can’t get his own way – have power to do what he wants. Liberal and Labor are not used to negotiating outside their LibLab cartel.

Shaw has stated that none of the investigations into misuse of his parliamentary vehicle and fuel card had established any criminality, claiming Dr Napthine had ”skin in the game” and a political incentive to keep him away from Parliament.

The Victorian Legislative Assembly is made up of 43 Labor MPs, 34 Liberals, 10 token Nationals and Independent Geoff Shaw.  Mr Shaw has the casting vote on legislation and government MPs are becoming increasingly pessimistic about whether the administration will hold on until the November 29 poll.

Napthine’s Liberals have introduced a motion to have Mr Shaw suspended for 11 sitting days, which the Opposition sought to amend in order to more harshly expel him. Napthine has vengefully demanded that Shaw be stripped of 11 days’ pay, fined $6838, and forced to formally apologise for “wrongdoing”.

In cahoots, Labor (opposition) leader Daniel Andrews denigrates Geoff Shaw as a rogue parliamentarian because Shaw is decisively independent from the like of the Libs and the Labs.  They can’t stomach true independence in politics.

Finger pointing

 

Rightly, Shaw has accused Napthine of running a personal vendetta against him to suit Napthine’s own political ambition to prove himself, and claiming Napthine has a political incentive to gag Shaw from speaking out.

Liberal and Labor will do anything to stay in power and to get power.   True independent politicians in Australian LibLab politics have to contend against mass media defamation funded by Liberal and Labor donors.

Bugger the lot of them!

Vote for Ordinary Australian integrity.