Ex-MP Andrew Laming fined $5k for electoral breaches in failed mayoral bid
Failed Redlands mayoral candidate Andrew Laming claims he's being held to a 'unique standard' after copping a $5000 fine for electoral law breaches. SEE THE VIDEO
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Former federal MP and failed Redlands mayoral candidate Andrew Laming has been fined $5262.60 after pleading guilty to 14 electoral offences, including the misuse of a personal credit card to fund Facebook advertising during his 2024 mayoral campaign.
The 58-year-old appeared in Cleveland Magistrates Court on Monday, where he admitted to breaching Queensland’s electoral laws by using a credit card linked to his Facebook account rather than the required debit card linked to a dedicated campaign account to pay for more than $2000 in political advertising.
Dr Laming, who represented the federal seat of Bowman for 18 years before contesting the Redland City mayoralty in March 2024, pleaded guilty to four counts of failing to submit electoral returns disclosing gifts, seven counts of distributing unauthorised SMS campaign messages and three counts of using a credit card linked to a Facebook account instead of a campaign account for election-related expenses.
“There’s no attempt to hide it,” Dr Laming’s barrister Jarrod Bell told the court.
“Facebook automatically takes the payment from that card … it becomes somewhat of an intermediary.”
Prosecuting on behalf of the Electoral Commission of Queensland, barrister Joseph Kapeleris said Dr Laming’s conduct went beyond technical breaches, pointing to prior contraventions of similar laws at the federal level.
“These are not minor indiscretions,” Mr Kapeleris said.
“Candidates need to understand the rules that relate to transparency and the integrity of a campaign.”
The SMS messages, sent to more than 5000 recipients during the campaign, lacked the required authorisation statements and contact details at the bottom.
Several were simply signed off only as “Andy” or “Andy L”.
Mr Bell argued the messages were directed at known supporters and were not attempts to mislead the public, describing the breaches as minor and unintentional.
The credit card transactions, he said, were reimbursed almost immediately using campaign funds.
Magistrate Deborah Vasta fined Dr Laming $1857 for late gift disclosures; $1083.60 for the unauthorised SMS messages and $2322 for the credit card breaches.
Magistrate Vasta said the matters had to be treated as significant.
“Once we start dropping the standards and expectations, it really does start to erode the integrity of the process,” she said.
“We can’t just minimise or dismiss them.”
She declined to record a conviction, which may have prohibited Dr Laming from running as a political candidate in the future, noting his co-operation and his current work providing mobile ophthalmology services to remote Queensland communities.
Outside court, Mr Kapeleris said the ECQ had sought a stronger penalty of $9000 but accepted the outcome.
“A five-grand penalty is not something tiny for a local government election candidate,” he said.
Dr Laming also addressed reporters after the hearing, saying he was pleased with the result and believed he had been held up as an example.
“I’m happy with the outcome, with the ECQ bearing their own costs and no conviction recorded,” he said.
“These small fines were just a fraction of what I had already agreed to pay in full, but the ECQ insisted on taking all this to court.
“Worse, these were minor and technical breaches that I had identified, publicised and worked assiduously with the ECQ to fix.
“Even my own opponent was found to have engaged in similar conduct and the ECQ elected not to take this kind of action and has not even issued them an infringement.
“I feel it’s one rule for me and a different standard for everyone else, but I am comfortable being held to a unique standard.
“The last thing I think everyone wants is this matter being appealed, which would lead to every single transgression by every candidate across Queensland being laid bare for all to see.”
Dr Laming said he was enjoying work as an ophthalmologist in remote areas and was not currently considering re-entering politics.
“You would never say never, would you?” he said.
“I would only run again if Redland city remains as dysfunctional as it is at present.”
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Originally published as Ex-MP Andrew Laming fined $5k for electoral breaches in failed mayoral bid
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