Whitsundays MP Jason Costigan responds to Jackie Trad’s criticism

A NORTH Queensland MP who was described by Jackie Trad as ’sleazy’ over a photo with two bikini-clad women has hit back at the Deputy Premier, saying he deserves an apology.

Whitsundays MP Jason Costigan with backpackers who helped him celebrate World Bikini Day in north Queensland.

MEMBER for Whitsunday Jason Costigan says Deputy Premier Jackie Trad is “off her head” and that he deserves an apology after she slammed him for using his political position to “objectify and prey on women”.

Ms Trad blasted Mr Costigan in two Twitter posts at the weekend after he uploaded a video celebrating World Bikini Day with two women wearing the skimpy swimsuit on a Whitsundays beach.

In a heated post, Ms Trad said the LNP member loved celebrating the day, claiming he gets to “prowl local beaches, ogling young, foreign, bikini-clad female tourists” before posting photos to Facebook.

I stand by what I said about the LNP's Jason Costigan, here's why... #qldpol pic.twitter.com/AtfCvQrQiP

— Jackie Trad (@jackietrad) July 8, 2018

“This isn’t just inappropriate, it’s sleazy,” her post read.

“Unfortunately too many of us know sleazebags who use their official titles and positions to objectify and prey on women. It needs to stop.”

Mr Costigan told The Courier-Mail Ms Trad’s comments were “political correctness on steroids” and that he’d done more to promote the Whitsundays in the last three days than the State Government had done for months.

“What’s next? Banning bikinis in Queensland?” he said.

“She (Trad) is obsessed with me — her and her mates in the red army, they use everything bar the anthrax to get rid of me and they failed again.”

The Member for Whitsunday, who has since doubled down on his Facebook posts to defend his position, said he had celebrated World Bikini Day before and would do it again.

“The girls (in the video) in question were happily obliged and they loved it,” he said.

“She’s (Trad) off her head. “She should apologise.”