‘He is a bully and a man baby’: Laming says ex-PM Morrison laid threats and was like a landmine

Former federal MP Andrew Laming has spoken for the first time about why he did not recontest his seat, labelling ex-Prime Minister Scott Morrison a media-obsessed ‘bully and a man baby’.

Retired federal MP Andrew Laming has spoken for the first time about the real reasons he did not recontest his seat and has labelled former Prime Minister Scott Morrison a media-obsessed “bully and a man baby”.

Mr Laming said he was not able to recontest the bayside seat of Bowman, which he had held for 18 years, after he claims the former Prime Minister “abandoned” him and tried to talk him out of recontesting his seat.

The one-time ophthalmologist said the former PM had helped cut his career short and was “not a bulldozer, he’s a landmine”.

He was speaking out after his latest legal action Network 10 journalist Lisa Wilkinson apologised over tweets she posted about him in 2021.

Mr Laming, labelled a maverick and provocative, said he had spent a year clearing his name after allegations of online abuse from two women and what he says were false social media claims of inappropriate behaviour relating to a photograph he took of a woman.

The animosity between the two politicians started after the stories were published in March 2021.

A police investigation found there was no basis to the photograph allegations and within minutes of being cleared, Mr Laming notified the LNP he intended to continue to run for preselection.

“It was at that point that Scott Morrison did all that he could to try and convince me and others not to continue with my preselection application,” he said.

“He said to me, ‘If you’re not good enough for the LNP, how are you good enough for my party room?

“He was bullying me to not continue with the preselection applicant review process, which was something I was determined to do especially after I was exonerated.”

Ex federal Liberal MP Andrew Laming and his wife Olesja at their home in Redland. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Although he ran for preselection for Bowman, which he held with a 10.2 per cent margin, Mr Laming’s applicant review was unsuccessful.

He said the former Prime Minister’s Office had also badgered him to vacate his position as chair of the parliamentary Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training.

The threat of opening a misconduct investigation was mentioned if Mr Laming did not resign and he was also warned that if he did not walk away from the role quietly he would never be given any political appointments under a Morrison government.

The Prime Minister’s Office later apologised for both.

Mr Laming said this action continued when his parliamentary committee was barred from holding its own inquiries and he was also told to decline in writing a $106,000 parliamentary resettlement payment to which he was entitled and subsquently received.

“The PM was trying to kill off me as the chair of the committee while the Labor Party deputy was making it work,” Mr Laming said.

“This bizarre, behind-the-scenes campaign to cut me out could be called bullying but in reality it was cowardice.”

Mr Laming said he had confronted Mr Morrison and asked him to clarify and correct his comments that Mr Laming’s conduct was “disgraceful” but he said the ex-PM had so far refused to do so.

“I just wanted a written statement that could be used in the federal court saying that his comments about me were inaccurate and he has continued to refuse to provide that.”

Mr Laming is continuing his defamation action against Nine Media which is set down for the federal court in Sydney in October.

Mr Morrison was contacted for comment.