+ SECRET TAPES CLAIM PREMIER THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013 $1.20* (Incl. GST) Herald Sunheraldsun.com.au FB123 C M Y K TED DHS 7-MAR-2013 PAGE Picture: ALEX COPPEL 1 FIRST 7MAR QUITS DENIS 76 HOURS NAPTHINE OF HELL THAT VICTORIA’S TOPPLED A NEW PREMIER LEADER REPORTS, PICTURES:URES: PAGESPAGES 4-94 9 LISTENLISTEN TOTO THETHE TAPESTAPES hheraldsun.com.aueraldsun com au + + + 4 NEWS THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013 HERALDSUN.COM.AU No escape for GEOFF SHAW There are WithW a Liberal in the If GGeoff Shaw, now an Shaw Speaker’sSpea chair (Ken Smith) independent, On the outer: The 88 aandnd Tim Holding yet to be ddoesoe not vote with the newly independent seats in the Lower House rereplaced through a by- GoGovernment it has holds member leaves of Parliament eleelectionc the Coalition had Parliament yesterday. 43 44 votesv to Labor’s key votes to Labor’s 42 42 James Campbell THE bad news for the Government was that it lost FIRST its majority on the floor of the Legislative Assembly in a 4 humiliation engineered by an ethically challenged MP. The good news is, newly minted independent Geoff Shaw actually has to vote with the Labor Party to defeat the Government. The Coalition had 45 MPs and Labor 43 after the election. On Ken Smith’s assuming the Speakership, the numbers were 44-43. Mr Shaw’s departure from government ranks means the sides will be 43-43 — assuming Labor wins April DHS 7-MAR-2013 PAGE 27’s Lyndhurst by-election. As long as Mr Shaw abstains from voting against the Government, it will still K be able to get its legislation through the Assembly, Pictures: ALEX COPPEL Y because when votes are tied M Mr Smith has a casting vote. For Labor to defeat C government legislation, it will have to persuade Mr Shaw to vote with it, giving it a majority of 43-44. (Mr Smith only gets a vote when the numbers are tied.). Liberal MPs said yesterday that Mr Shaw has some demands he wants addressed, beginning with FB123 some tinkering to Victoria’s abortion laws. Others say his real motivation was to act as lightning rod for those who wanted to neck Mr Baillieu. But the hard-heads in the party who wanted Mr Baillieu gone appeared to 88 have been taken by surprise at Mr Shaw’s sudden departure from the party members in Victorian Legislative Assembly room — though others (Lower House) suspect the Frankston hothead had been revved up. ● 43 Liberal-National Party members Liberal MPs yesterday ● 42 Labor were at a loss yesterday to ● explain where they go from Speaker (Liberal) here, but many had used the ● Independent (formerly Liberal) term ‘‘circuit breaker’’. ● Vacancy (formerly Labor) Whatever you WANT... Whatever you NEED... The $230 BIG RED HAND ea is your savings WAS $2.49 DOWN SINCE 9/01/13 guarantee Coles Bread 700g $0.33 per 100g + + HERALDSUN.COM.AU THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013 NEWS 5 wounded Ted + The ALP will climb back to IIff MMr Shaw abstained HoHowever if Mr Shaw ffromrom voting, it would be actactivelyiv voted with Labor, Ousted Baillieu in 43 ratratherh than abstaining, if it wins Mr Holding’s old 43 the GGovernment would be seat of Lyndhurst, but the votesvo each, but the defeated party must wait for a by- SSpeakerpe is allowed to emotional farewell election in more than six vvoteote to break a deadlock 444 -43 weeks’ time ssoo ttheh vote would go to and theth Speaker could not James Campbell, suddenly called to start at the Coalition vote because there would Matt Johnston, 7pm. be no deadlock Michelle Ainsworth and At that meeting, Mr Annika Smethurst Baillieu received several rounds of applause after QUESTION TIME YESTERDAY TED Baillieu resigned as the informing the party of his leader of his party and as decision. Fighting Premier of Victoria last night. Mr Shaw’s decision to sit words: Premier Mr Baillieu informed his as a cross-bencher had Ted Baillieu colleagues he would be step- meant the Government faces off against ping down during an extra- would have had to rely on Opposition ordinary meeting of Liberal him to pass laws if, as ex- MPs last night. pected, Labor wins a Leader Daniel An emotional Mr Baillieu It isi one thingthi tot beb Lyndhurst by-election on Andrews. thanked members of the steady as the bullets April 27. Liberal Party, his staff and fl y and another to stand Lyndhurst was vacated by family for their support after frozen in the political Labor MP Tim Holding last his announcement. spotlight month. Denis Napthine, who If Mr Shaw votes with the holds the ministerial port- PAGE 30 Labor Party after that date, folios for major projects, the Government would be ports, regional cities and defeated on the floor of the racing, was named as his re- Baillieu summoned his Legislative Assembly. placement. Cabinet to talks. Yesterday afternoon one Dr Napthine was a former The consensus from MPs MP said Mr Baillieu’s lead- Liberal leader in opposition yesterday, even from those ership was finished and that from 1991 until 2002. who want Mr Baillieu he would be ‘‘gone within Maverick Frankston MP replaced as leader, was that two months’’. Geoff Shaw earlier put the Mr Shaw had taken the de- But others had said Mr FB123 Coalition Government on a cision alone and his move Shaw’s move to sit on the knife edge after surprising was a surprise. cross-bench would make it his colleagues by quitting Labor sources said yester- more difficult for Planning the parliamentary party day, however, they had been Minister Matthew Guy — room. told by Liberals that Mr who is widely touted as the Mr Shaw, who faces alle- Shaw had been ‘‘revved up’’ leader-in-waiting — to move gations of improper use of a by some anti-Baillieu forces. to the Legislative Assembly taxpayer-funded car, in- An emergency Liberal as the Government would formed the clerks of the partyroom meeting was lose one more vote until he Legislative Assembly on called yesterday for about could be sworn in. Tuesday night he planned 12.30pm but was later One senior Liberal said C to sit on the cross-benches. changed to a Coalition that Mr Baillieu was fired up He took a swipe at Mr partyroom meeting at 1pm. in the 1pm meeting and M Baillieu as he left the parlia- Some Liberal MPs were promised to take action on mentary party. incensed by the inclusion of pressing concerns of his Y ‘‘I believe my actions re- the National MPs. MPs. flect the general loss of con- Mr Baillieu emerged from ‘‘This was a circuit- K fidence Victorians are feel- the meeting saying he would breaker,’’ the MP said. ing in the leadership of the continue to govern strongly Opposition Leader Daniel Government,’’ he said. with the support of the Andrews had said that Mr ‘‘As always, my focus is on party room. Baillieu’s Government was DHS 7-MAR-2013 PAGE how I can best represent the ‘‘The Government will in a serious crisis. people of Frankston and at continue to govern and we ‘‘There is no one in the the moment I believe that is will continue to govern de- Baillieu Government today from the cross-bench.’’ cisively in Coalition and we thinking about jobs, or hos- Mr Shaw’s colleagues said are looking forward to doing pitals or transport or schools, he wanted to pursue his just that,’’ he said. this is a government that has agenda on the issue of ‘‘We have a very strong stopped governing,’’ Mr An- abortion from the cross- forthcoming agenda and we drews said. bench. have been able to govern ‘‘The Premier is not so As news broke mid- with a narrow margin and I much running a Govern- morning of Mr Shaw’s exit believe we can continue to ment as running a complete from the party room, Liberal govern.’’ and utter circus, it’d be MPs began meeting all over But about 6pm, a funny if it weren’t so Parliament House, and Mr Liberals-only meeting was serious.’’ 5 FIRST Over YEAR 1 DOWN $990 $ ea 10ea WAS $11.90 WAS $12.99 DOWN SINCE 22/09/11 DOWN SINCE16/02/11 Coon Tasty Cheese 1kg Quilton Toilet Paper 3 Ply 20 Pack $9.90 per kg $0.26 per 100 sheets + + + 6 NEWS THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013 HERALDSUN.COM.AU State’s turning TED’S 76 HOURS out its pockets OF HELL Stephen McMahon VICTORIA’S economy re- mains in the doldrums as its SUNDAY:SUNDAY: politicians fight about how 3PM: Herald Sun state to define a recession. politics editor James The latest national ac- Campbell meets Premier counts highlight a growing Ted Baillieu’s senior divide in Australia’s econ- media adviser, Paul Price, omy. Strong growth in the mining states lifted the and outlines the details national GDP for the last 12 of secret tape recordings months to 3.1 per cent, mak- the paper has obtained. ing more than 21 consecutive The tapes capture FIRST years of national growth. conversations between But the non-mining states Deputy Premier Peter 6 of Victoria, South Australia, Ryan’s former police and Tasmania registered a trend of contraction. adviser Tristan Weston, Australian Bureau of Stat- Baillieu chief of staff Tony istics data yesterday showed Nutt and Liberal state Victoria’s final demand — the director Damien Mantach. total spending of consumers, Weston had been ousted business and government — after an OPI report found fell by a seasonally adjusted he had undermined 1.1 per cent in the December quarter, following falls of former police chief Simon 0.5 per cent in the September Overland.