South Australian federal Liberal MP Tony Pasin apologises following GoPro incident in suite of Infrastructure Minister Catherine King

South Australian federal Liberal MP Tony Pasin has found out whether he breached parliamentary privilege after his staffer filmed a senior minister without her knowledge.

South Australian federal Liberal MP Tony Pasin has apologised after his staffer filmed a senior minister without her knowledge.

The Speaker of federal parliament has ruled that no further action will be taken in relation to the matter.

Last week, Infrastructure Minister Catherine King accused Mr Pasin of using a GoPro to covertly film a conversation that took place in Ms King’s ministerial office at Parliament House.

She said the incident constituted a serious breach of standards and asked Speaker Milton Dick to refer it to a parliamentary committee.

Infrastructure Minister Catherine King accused Mr Pasin of using a GoPro to covertly film a conversation that took place in Ms King’s ministerial office at Parliament House.

In a statement to parliament, Mr Pasin said, over the course of the day last Wednesday, a new staffer from his office recorded footage of him in various locations in and around Parliament House – including in the ministerial corridor.

“These recordings, while taken in error, were in no way covert,” he said on Monday.

He rejected allegations that he filmed in Ms King’s ministerial suite, and that he downloaded the footage onto a laptop.

“Unbeknownst to me, after capturing footage in the ministerial corridor, my staff member continued recording as I entered the reception and meeting room of the minister’s suite,” he said.

“On returning to my office, and having been made aware of that footage, the member of my staff was directed to delete it.

“I have apologised to Minister King. The filming in her suite should not have occurred, and I accept responsibility for my staff member’s error.”

Mr Dick acknowledged that Ms King considered the incident to be “a significant interference in her ministerial work” and an affront to her.

“However, I do not see evidence that the action by (Mr Pasin) amounts to, or was intended or likely to amount to, an improper interference with the free exercise by (Minister King) in her duties as a member,” he said.

Therefore, he said, the incident did not breach parliamentary privilege and would not be referred on.

Minister King, speaking after Mr Pasin, accepted that he rang her to apologise and urged him to reflect on parliamentary standards.

“I do want to make the point that, in the last week of the parliamentary calendar, Australians do expect and deserve to see parliamentarians conduct themselves in a manner befitting of this place,” she said.