Prime Minister Scott Morrison aims for female candidate to replace Andrew Laming
The Prime Minister is on the hunt for a strong female candidate to replace the under-fire Queensland MP, who will not recontest his seat
NSW
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A strong female candidate is Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s preferred replacement for Liberal MP Andrew Laming, who will leave politics at the next election after a number of accusations of poor behaviour.
Mr Laming has stepped down from his parliamentary roles and committed to undertake “empathy” and “appropriate communication” training at his own expense after several women from his Queensland electorate came forward alleging he abused them on online.
Another young woman from Redlands also accused Mr Laming of taking a photo of her underwear as she bent over.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Mr Laming would remain in the Queensland seat of Bowman for the remainder of the term, but would not recontest when the next federal election is held.
“The Prime Minister spoke to Andrew yesterday and made it very clear that was expected of our MPs,” Mr Frydenberg said on Sunday.
“And Andrew has reflected on that conversation with the Prime Minister and following that conversation he has decided not to contest the next election.”
It is understood Mr Morrison, who will have the ability to nominate a contender for Bowman preselection, is eager to send a highly qualified female candidate for the electorate to consider amid a concerted push to increase the representation of women in the federal Coalition.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese said Mr Laming was “unfit” to be an MP and should quit parliament immediately.
“What we’ve seen from this Member is someone who trolls and bullies women online, his own constituents, bringing one to despair and to think about ending her own life,” he said.
“We’ve seen him hide in bushes in order to photograph and video a constituent and we’ve seen him take photos up a woman’s skirt in that woman’s workplace.
“That’s a crime.”
In a statement Mr Laming said he intended to “own” his past mistakes, including his failure to demonstrate “anything close to understanding how my actions affect others” in the past week as allegations emerged.
“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 (in May),” he said.
“I intend to get that help immediately and at my own expense.”
Mr Laming won Bowman, which covers an area of northern outer metropolitan Brisbane, with 60.24 per cent of the two-party preferred vote in 2019.
If he quit parliament before the next election it would thrown the Morrison Government into minority.
The revelations of Mr Laming’s poor behaviour, including claims from one woman his online harassment made her consider taking her own life, has further deepened the crisis engulfing the government after more than a month of intense scrutiny about the treatment of women in and around politics.
It is understood Mr Morrison, who will have the ability to nominate a contender for Bowman preselection, is eager to send a highly qualified female candidate for the electorate to consider amid a concerted push to increase the representation of women in the federal Coalition.
Apart from nominating a new candidate for Bowman, Mr Morrison is also widely tipped to imminently shuffle Defence Minister Linda Reynolds and Attorney-General Christian Porter from their respective Cabinet roles.
APOLOGY FOR NATS MP LEADING REVIEW
Meanwhile a Nationals MP who is leading the party’s response to a major review of the toxic workplace culture in Parliament House has gained an apology from a person who harassed her in the building last week.
Member for Mallee in regional Victoria, Anne Webster, lodged a harassment complaint following an incident last week, the The Australian reported. The other person involved has since apologised and committed not to harass anyone else again, which Dr Webster has said she is satisfied.
Dr Webster, who was selected to head up the Nationals Party’s response to the review of Parliament’s workplace culture by Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, said she hopes her experience encourages others to come forward.
“I gained some first-hand experience with how the process works,” she said. “The other person has apologised and committed to never acting like that again.
“This is how this process should work. I don’t want anyone sacked for minor misdemeanours.”
Dr Webster said she was heartened by the result and the deep interest from young Nationals members in addressing the cultural issues inside Parliament House. “We need to work together on recalibrating consent and conducting respectful relationships,” she said.
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Originally published as Prime Minister Scott Morrison aims for female candidate to replace Andrew Laming
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