Opposition asks Victorian premier how long he has known about the case against state government member Peter Crisp

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

Pressure is building on the Victorian premier, Denis Napthine, to reveal when he knew a member of his government, Mildura MP Peter Crisp, was facing firearms charges.

Crisp confirmed on Saturday he had been charged with keeping unregistered guns at his farm in NSW but said he would be “strongly defending” himself.

“I reject charges relating to unlicenced possession of a prohibited firearm on my primary production land,” he said. “All reasonable precaution was taken to ensure the safe storage of these firearms.”

The Nationals MP is charged with nine offences, including keeping an unauthorised firearm, keeping an unauthorised prohibited firearm and not having firearm safe.

The state opposition leader, Daniel Andrews, said on Monday the premier had questions to answer.

“When did Mr Napthine learn that a senior member of his government, the National party whip, faces criminal charges, firearm charges no less?” he asked.

But the premier’s office has so far refused to comment, saying it would be “inappropriate” as the matter is still before the courts.

The charges, arising from a burglary at Crisp’s farm that he reported to police, are the latest threat to the Victorian government’s one-seat majority, which has since last March been held to siege by independent Frankston MP Geoff Shaw.

Shaw, who effectively holds the balance of power, left the Liberal party in March 2013 under investigation for misconduct and fraud. Those charges were dropped in December but Shaw remains at odds with his former party. Earlier this month he refused to repeat his guarantee that he would back the Napthine government when it presents its budget in May.

Crisp is due to face court in May. If convicted, he may no longer be eligible to hold his seat, triggering a byelection that would put the government’s majority in jeopardy.

“The Victorian constitution says that if you’ve been convicted of an offence that has a five-year jail term or more, you can’t be on the electoral roll and you can’t, by extension, be a member of the parliament,” Monash University political analyst Nick Economou said.

“Technically, at the next hearing in the Mildura magistrates court, if Crisp is convicted of a charge that has a five-year term he’s in breach of the constitution.”

Keeping an unauthorised prohibited firearm is an indictable offence drawing up to a maximum 14 years’ jail.

Economou said was that while there was “no certainty” about what would happen if Crisp was convicted, there was a precedent for a byelection to be deferred if it fell close to state elections, scheduled in Victoria for November.

“Alternatively, the byelection could be held and they would try to expedite it as quickly as possible,” he said.

He said this latest drama added to an appearance in voters’ minds that the Napthine government was “dysfunctional”.