Opinion: Andrew Laming’s exit may pave way for Amanda Stoker

Disgraced Liberal National MP Andrew Laming’s exit from Federal Parliament could trigger a domino effect, writes Des Houghton.

Queensland senator Amanda Stoker may switch to the House of Representatives by contesting outgoing MP Andrew Laming’s seat of Bowman at the next federal election.

The move would be more likely if Stoker fails in next month’s party plebiscite to win the No. 1 Senate ticket spot, currently held by James McGrath.

Party sources say McGrath appears to have the numbers to hold the safe No. 1 spot, meaning Stoker would be forced to run in the risky No. 3 spot.

The Nationals’ Matt Canavan automatically holds the No. 2 spot on the ticket.

Laming, meanwhile, is keen to clear his name after being accused of taking an inappropriate photo of a woman in a landscape nursery.

Police were quick to dismiss a formal complaint against Laming, and he has commenced a defamation action against Channel 9.

Andrew Laming (centre), Amanda Stoker and James McGrath

The network has removed two contentious news reports from its digital platform after being served a concerns notice.

Laming declined to comment. However, I can confirm that he has engaged gun defamation barrister Rebecca Giles, who has offices in Sydney and Melbourne.

Giles successfully represented Geoffrey Rush in his case against The Daily Telegraph.

She also won her case for Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young in her defamation action against David Leyonhjelm.

She is also representing former attorney-general Christian Porter and former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins.

Watching the proceedings from the wings will be brilliant young barrister Maggie Forrest, a former prosecutor, the candidate most likely to run in Bowman for the LNP should Stoker decide against a switch.

Forrest, a Brisbane Girls Grammar old girl, won a scholarship to Cambridge University where she studied philosophy and Mandarin and worked at the war crimes tribunal in The Hague.