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Qld MP Kim Richards tells parliament federal MP Andrew Laming targeted her with ‘abuse and harassment’

The embattled MP has been embroiled in another controversy after trolling allegations were tabled in Queensland parliament.

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Embattled federal MP Andrew Laming has faced fresh trolling claims after a female Queensland state MP told parliament she had endured “sustained” online attacks from the political rival.

Member for Redlands Kim Richards flashed nine Facebook posts where she was targeted by Dr Laming after she claimed he hid in a bush to take photos of her in a local park.

Ms Richards told Queensland parliament on Thursday evening she was the victim of a “character assassination” and described the ongoing abuse as “absolutely disturbing”.

She also slammed the Morrison government for failing to condemn Dr Laming over the harassment allegations.

Kim Richards claims 'sustained attack' online from MP Andrew Laming.
Kim Richards claims 'sustained attack' online from MP Andrew Laming.
Ms Richards says she has been ‘stalked and trolled’.
Ms Richards says she has been ‘stalked and trolled’.

The posts from Dr Laming include a cartoon series titled ‘Skimmy & the Shirty Shovel’ as well as claims about the state Labor member being the “most evasive and dishonest MP”.

“The posts go on and on,” Ms Richards said.

“It is absolutely disturbing … Talk about being stalked and trolled on Facebook.”

“It is an unhealthy obsession.”

Mr Laming returned to parliament this week. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty Images
Mr Laming returned to parliament this week. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty Images

In response, Dr Laming hit back and demanded the state MP make a formal complaint in the next two weeks for authorities to properly investigate the claims.

“This is a woman using the protection of parliament to make trumped up quasi-criminal allegations and has not got the ticker to lodge formal complaints to authorities for what was a photo of my wife and children,” he said, according to the Courier-Mail.

“The political question I asked about Ms Richards was when she was showboating in a park with Labor councillors and deliberately cut out independent councillor Paul Golle, who was responsible for the park, which was both mean and sneaky.”

Dr Laming’s fall from grace follows revelations he took a photograph of a woman on her knees in a “crouching position” filling a bar fridge at a landscaping company, prompting her to make a police complaint.

Police cleared him and no charges were laid, just days after he agreed not to recontest the next election.

James Hall
James HallState political reporter

James Hall is an experienced reporter who has worked in online and print in Sydney, Adelaide, and Canberra, as well as brief postings in Cambodia and Indonesia. He previously covered politics at the News Corp NewsWire, where his work was published in The Australian, The Courier-Mail, news.com.au and other mastheads. Before this, he was a finance reporter at news.com.au and the Australian Associated Press before that, where he covered a broad range of desks including state politics in South Australia and the stock market from Sydney.

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/qld-mp-kim-richards-tells-parliament-federal-mp-andrew-laming-targeted-her-with-abuse-and-harassment/news-story/091dbb9c5f56c454033c5e66379f5c5c