‘Spying’ photo of SMS in parliament sparks apologies and call for probe

An LNP backbencher has admitted taking a covert photo of a message on a Labor MP’s phone during a parliamentary sitting last year, fuelling a political fight as the house sat this week.

Coomera MP Michael Crandon apologised to Labor’s Ali King on Wednesday, describing his move to take the photo from his seat behind her as a “snap decision”.

“I unreservedly apologise to the member for Pumicestone for the invasion of the member’s privacy,” he told parliament. “I unreservedly apologise to the house for my indiscretion.”

Crandon said he had reflected on his actions and quoted a Bible verse to the house about temptation.

Nine’s publication of the October photo on Monday, unattributed to Crandon, sparked calls from King for an investigation by the ethics committee for a breach of parliamentary rules.

Speaker Curtis Pitt agreed to refer the matter, and earlier urged the MP responsible to own up, saying he considered “spying on members’ papers and devices in the Assembly to be a very serious matter”.

The photo LNP backbencher Michael Crandon took of Labor MP Ali King’s phone, likely breaching parliamentary rules.Credit: Nine News

“I note that many of our rules relating to conduct and filming et cetera in the precinct and the house are directed to strangers, such as the media. We have taken it as read that members will not engage in such conduct; the committee may decide that a different approach is required.”

The LNP has also asked for the powerful group to probe whether Premier Steven Miles misled parliament after denying last month he had sent the message, which suggested King apologise for telling residents to contact her office about a Queensland Health job opening.

Miles apologised to parliament on Tuesday, saying he had believed the LNP question he had been responding to was about a related and unsuccessful right-to-information application made to unearth the message, rather than the message to King.

“The text message was from six months prior, and I did not recall it at the time,” Miles said.

“I therefore wish to correct the record and apologise for the error.”

Labor has framed the taking and sharing of the photograph as an example of the opposition party’s treatment of women.

Coomera MP Michael Crandon has apologised for taking the photo.

King said on Tuesday she was appalled the photo had been taken of her phone, claiming the then-unknown person responsible had invaded her privacy.

“Not once did I expect even a member of the LNP to leer over my shoulder and take non-consensual photographs, then spread them around as clickbait,” she said.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman labelled it an “outrageous” invasion of privacy.

The LNP has seized on the situation to paint Miles as a liar, and suggested he hid the message from the records search.

Opposition cost of living spokeswoman Deb Frecklington asked parliament why King did not correct the record when the premier denied sending the message.

“If the member for Pumicestone’s standards are so high, how come the member for Pumicestone didn’t out the premier?” Frecklington said.

- with AAP

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