MP ON THE BRINK
Furious Libs leader tells Simon Ramsay to consider his future beyond state election Claim pollie seen swerving onto wrong side of road
LOCAL Liberal MP Simon Ramsay could be dropped by his party before November’s election as it emerges police witnessed him swerving onto the wrong side of the road before breathalysing him.
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy yesterday urged Mr Ramsay, pictured, to consider his future beyond the election and said he wanted the courts to throw the book at the Western Victoria upper house MP, after he went public to reveal he blew almost four times the legal limit on Saturday night.
“There’s just no excuse for this, no excuse whatsoever, so yes, he should face every bit of penalty that can be thrown at him,” Mr Guy said yesterday.
“(I’ve) asked him to over the next few days reflect upon his future going forward as a member of parliament beyond the 2018 election.”
LOCAL Liberal MP Simon Ramsay could be dropped by his party before November’s election as it emerges police witnessed him swerving onto the wrong side of the road before breathalysing him.
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy yesterday urged Mr Ramsay to consider his future beyond the election and said he wanted the courts to throw the book at the Western Victoria upper house MP, after he went public to reveal he blew almost four times the legal limit on Saturday night.
“There’s just no excuse for this, no excuse whatsoever, so yes, he should face every bit of penalty that can be thrown at him,” Mr Guy said yesterday.
“(I’ve) asked him to over the next few days reflect upon his future going forward as a member of parliament beyond the 2018 election.
“… I will have a face-to-face conversation with him either later today or tomorrow, and I will again express my anger, disappointment and frustration that he would drink-drive, let alone drinkdrive to that extent.”
Mr Ramsay appeared to be representing the Government at the Barwon Heads Football Club sponsors lunch on Saturday, held at waterfront restaurant At The Heads. Mr Ramsay posted an image to social media from the event with the caption, “Proud to be part of the Matthew Guy team supporting local sporting clubs” at 4.35pm.
Images of the luncheon showed supporters enjoying beer and wine at the event. Seven hours later police nabbed a 63-year-old Barwon Heads man — understood to be Mr Ramsay — swerving onto the wrong side of the road on Carr St, just a few hundred metres from the luncheon location.
“Police intercepted a car on Carr Street, Barwon Heads, after it was observed crossing to the wrong side of the road about 11.30pm (21 July),” Victoria Police spokeswoman Alex Day said.
“The driver, a 63-year-old Barwon Heads man, returned a positive breath test. He was accompanied to a police station where he returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.191%.
“The man had his licence immediately suspended and will be charged on summons with drink- driving offences.”
Mr Ramsay contacted the Geelong Advertiser on Sunday to reveal his drink-driving, and that he had resigned as shadow parliamentary secretary
“I’m not hiding from anything. I feel like an idiot,” Mr Ramsay said.
“I’m really gutted that I did such a thing and the actions are inexcusable. The consequences will haunt me forever.”
Premier Daniel Andrews declined to say whether Mr Ramsay should resign from Parliament. “That’s entirely a matter for him,” Mr Andrews told ABC radio.
“He knows he’s done the wrong thing, he’s resigned his position that is his junior ministry position, beyond that I’m not interested in making a very difficult time for him any worse than it is.
“In all of my dealings with Simon Ramsay he’s always been, as you say, a decent person. Obviously we don’t agree on many things, but I’m not about making what will be a very difficult time for him worse.”
Just last month Mr Ramsay was tweeting about booze buses on the Bellarine.
“Police are out on the Bellarine breath testing at 10.30am this morning. Has police minister Neville ramped up KPIs in her electorate???” he tweeted on June 2.