Laming asks for family privacy as preselection jostling starts

Liberal MP Andrew Laming has called for his family to be left alone while he seeks clinical and professional treatment, after he announced his plans to quit politics.

Liberal MP Andrew Laming has called for his family to be left alone while he seeks clinical and professional treatment.

The disgraced Bowman MP has spoken out about his future plans which include not contesting the next election and getting professional help and clinical counselling starting tomorrow.

Mr Laming, who had been in the role for 17 years, said he would fulfil his three-year term after getting professional assistance.

Andrew Laming says he will not recontest his seat of Bowamn, paving the way for pre-selection jostling for new candidates including Frances Ward. Picture Gary Ramage

He was speaking out after Treasurer Josh Frydenberg this morning said Mr Laming would be fit to hold his position until the next election and after two Liberal MPs Katie Allen and Senator Sarah Henderson said he should not run again.

Mr Laming ruled out recontesting his seat of Bowman, paving the way for preselection for other LNP candidates including Frances Ward Emerson for his predominantly blue-ribbon Liberal seat.

Mr Laming said he felt he would “never be able to brush away” the claims he had trolled two women in his electorate and taken a photo of a woman stacking a fridge while her underwear was showing.

He said he would likely travel interstate to get the professional help to be more empathetic and to communicate appropriately and urged the community to give his family privacy.

“The common thread of the last week has been not demonstrating anything close to understanding how my actions affect others,” he said in a statement.

“I intend to own those mistakes.

“I will also be obtaining clinical counselling for a duration decided by others but I will aim to complete it by the next parliamentary sitting.

“I intend to get that help ASAP at my own expense and potentially interstate so I can focus on it properly.

“I hope some privacy can be extended to me and my family in this time and I ask my local community to be kind to them.

Mr Laming said he had not aimed to embarrass the woman stacking shelves when he took the photograph of her bottom and said it was to “exemplify diligence and capture what I thought was a humorous moment”.

“A worker surrounded by an impossible amount of stock and trying to fit it into a small fridge like a game of Tetris. She was appropriately dressed and kneeling and not in a compromised position,” he said.

“My mistake was immediately obvious to me afterwards; not checking and asking before taking a photograph; a lapse that was a serious oversight and fell short of what should be expected to an MP.”