Andrew Laming’s forced exit rocks Liberals’ reset
PM’s move to end crisis engulfing Coalition by reshuffling Cabinet is derailed by Andrew Laming’s forced departure.
Scott Morrison’s move to end the crisis engulfing his government by stripping responsibilities from two senior ministers has been derailed by Andrew Laming’s forced departure from politics after the Queensland MP admitted to harassing women online.
Dr Laming, who will not contest the next election but will remain in the Coalition partyroom, joins Defence Minister Linda Reynolds and Attorney-General Christian Porter as the third Liberal MP to take medical leave this year.
In response to a series of government scandals, the Prime Minister will announce a major cabinet reshuffle on Monday, which is expected to promote former leadership rival Peter Dutton into the Defence portfolio.
Despite some internal resistance against scandal-prone Government Services Minister Stuart Robert being elevated into the Home Affairs portfolio, The Australian understands he remains the frontrunner for the key national security job. Some senior government figures have been pushing Mr Morrison to consider promoting Social Services Minister Anne Ruston instead.
The ministerial reshuffle is not expected to add numbers into cabinet, with Mr Porter and Senator Reynolds shifting into different portfolios. Senator Reynolds, who previously served as emergency management minister, is expected to be handed a “national resilience” portfolio, responsibilities currently overseen by Agriculture Minister David Littleproud.
Dr Laming’s departure comes after his own branch executive warned the Liberal National Party before the 2019 election about his “harmful” behaviour, including “belligerent” Facebook arguments with constituents.
LNP sources on Sunday said he would likely be disendorsed if he ran again, after a string of damaging revelations emerged.
The Prime Minister will personally intervene in the search for Dr Laming’s successor, and is expected to dispatch Industry Minister Karen Andrews, who is from Queensland, to oversee the preselection with the intention of nominating a woman.
The Australian can reveal the frontrunner to replace Dr Laming is Fran Ward, a 50-year-old businesswoman, mother of three and chair of the LNP’s small business policy committee.
Dr Laming, Senator Reynolds and Mr Porter will all return from leave before parliament resumes for the budget on May 11, leaving the government with a one-seat majority. Former Liberal MP Craig Kelly, who quit to sit on the crossbench last month, has also promised to support the government on confidence and supply.
A senior government source said if the current crises could not be resolved before parliament returned, they could face a similar scenario to the citizenship fiasco, which crippled the Turnbull government and tested its numbers on the floor of parliament.
Dr Laming took medical leave from parliament on Saturday night after the allegations were broadcast and Mr Morrison ordered him to take empathy training. By Sunday afternoon, the Bowman MP said he would not recontest the next election.
“The common thread of the last week has been not demonstrating anything close to understanding how my actions affect others. I intend to own those mistakes,” Dr Laming said.
The LNP is deciding whether to swing behind Ms Ward — the only person who had nominated to challenge Dr Laming at preselection before he announced his retirement. Ms Ward declined to comment when approached by The Australian on Sunday.
Conservative factional forces have already moved to pressure the LNP to reopen nominations and install a man, potentially Henry Pike, who unsuccessfully ran for the state seat of Redlands at October’s Queensland election. An LNP executive meeting will be held on Monday night.
Despite the move by his branch leadership in 2019 to advocate for his rival candidate at preselection, Dr Laming won the local party vote and the LNP state executive instead suspended the three outspoken branch leaders.
In a statement, the LNP on Sunday confirmed Dr Laming would not be ousted from the party before the federal elections, despite conceding he had “not met the standards required of LNP members”.
“We support the Prime Minister’s direction to seek and undertake professional assistance,” the LNP statement said.
“Dr Laming will be undertaking empathy and communication training interstate at his own expense to address instances of behaviour that do not meet accepted community standards. He will also receive clinical counselling for as long as is required … he has given an undertaking to meet the standards expected of elected representatives.”
Dr Laming’s forced retirement came as Mr Morrison finalised his ministerial shake-up, intended to be a circuit breaker to neutralise internal and external criticism over the government’s handling of the Brittany Higgins rape allegation and a rape allegation levelled at Mr Porter, which he has vehemently denied.
Mr Dutton is tipped to replace Senator Reynolds, who is due to resume duties on April 2 after going on medical leave for a heart condition. Mr Dutton is also expected to take over as Leader of the House after filling in for Mr Porter over the past fortnight.
Mr Porter, who launched defamation action against the ABC this month after it aired details of an alleged historical rape, is also rumoured to be considering stepping away from ministerial duties by the end of the year.
Senior Coalition sources believe it unlikely the West Australian MP, due to return from personal leave on Wednesday, would contest the next election.
Employment Minister Michaelia Cash is likely to win elevation as the nation’s new attorney-general, after Mr Morrison last week confirmed he had received advice from Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue over conflict-of-interest issues in relation to Mr Porter remaining in the role.
Amid concerns over new flashpoints involving harassment and poor behaviour, The Australian reported on Sunday that Nationals MP Anne Webster had last week lodged a complaint after being harassed in parliament. Ms Webster said after the incident she had formally complained and received an apology.
Josh Frydenberg on Sunday revealed Dr Laming would quit politics at the next federal election after Mr Morrison was twice forced to intervene in response to his behaviour.
Liberal MPs Katie Allen and Sarah Henderson had earlier that day called on Dr Laming to leave politics over harassment of women in his electorate.
Senator Henderson and Dr Allen said Dr Laming needed to reconsider his future.
“I’m not comfortable with the conduct and I hope that Andrew makes the right decision. I do (hope he goes),” Senator Henderson told the ABC.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING: RICHARD FERGUSON
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