Napthine failed to reveal stake in numerous horses

Victorian Premier Denis Napthine with former Melbourne Cup-winning horse Subzero last year. Photo: Getty Images

Premier Denis Napthine has failed to disclose to Parliament his financial stake in multiple racehorses, raising questions about possible breaches of MP disclosure laws and contempt of Parliament.

A long-term racing minister and shadow racing spokesman, Dr Napthine has reported a financial stake in just two, unnamed, horses in the parliamentary register since he became an MP in 1988.

He has confirmed his current disclosed part share in Spin The Bottle, the thoroughbred at the centre of a recent conflict of interest row involving a $1.5 million grant to a joint owner, Warrnambool businessman Colin McKenna.

However, inquiries by Fairfax Media have revealed that in the past 15 years alone Dr Napthine has had an interest in at least six racehorses. One undisclosed stake was in Cut The Wind, co-owner former premier Jeff Kennett.

Dr Napthine told Warrnambool's The Standard in 2000 of a stake in racehorse called Bon Mia. In 2003 he also had an interest in Poltergeist with Liberal colleagues including current transport minister Terry Mulder and Melbourne lord mayor Robert Doyle.

More recently, around 2010, Dr Napthine had a stake in the gelding Barn Buster, and around 2012 it was bay mare Patient Plover with cabinet colleagues Mr Mulder and Housing Minister Wendy Lovell, and prominent property developer David Marriner. The Marriner family is currently seeking government approval for a 32-storey hotel and office complex behind the Forum Theatre that the family owns.

Victorian MPs are required to disclose in the Register of Members' Interests, anything from which they derive a financial benefit, and which appears to raise a ''material conflict'' between private interest and public duty.

Any investment with others worth more than $500, and any income source other than parliamentary salaries and allowances, must be disclosed. Any ''wilful'' contravention of the disclosure rules can lead to an MP being found in contempt of Parliament and fined.

A spokesman for Dr Napthine said ''the Premier has previously part-leased racehorses with colleagues and with total strangers''. The Premier ''went to the Clerk of Parliament in the early '90s to explain he was leasing a horse and was told it could be considered a hobby - as he didn't own it - and he did not have to declare it'', he said.

When he became Racing Minister in 2011 he wanted to make sure he was on the right side of any ''grey area'', so declared a horse he part-owned, the spokesman said.

''The Premier firmly believes he has complied with the requirements of the pecuniary interest register'' for his entire time in Parliament, he said.

But on Thursday the Monash University governance research unit's Ken Coghill, an ex-Labor MP, said Dr Napthine had ''potentially put himself in contempt of the house''.

theage.com.au 16 May 2014

Another corrupt politician, allegedly working for the people.

Would you trust this man to run you country or state?

Well, he runs a state (corporation) called Victoria in Australia.

No doubt the 'law' will not deal with the situation, as it is supposed to.

He should be removed from office IMMEDIATELY.