Laming’s seat in Labor’s sights

Anthony Albanese said Donisha Duff, an Indigenous health expert, was a candidate with ‘empathy’ as Labor sets its eyes on winning protest points in Mr Laming’s seat.

Donisha Duff is the Labor’s candidate for the seat of Bowman. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Jono Searle

Indigenous health advocate Donisha Duff will be Labor’s candidate for the seat of Bowman – currently held by Andrew Laming — as the opposition moves to target the disgraced MP’s electorate.

After a month of controversy surrounding Dr Laming’s alleged harassment of women, Queensland’s Liberal National Party disendorsed the MP this week after he refused to formally withdraw his nomination to contest the next federal election.

Anthony Albanese announced Ms Duff as Labor’s contender for Bowman outside Dr Laming’s electorate office in Brisbane. The Opposition Leader said Ms Duff, who had lived in the Redlands area for 30 years, would be “on the side of the community”.

“Donisha is an expert in health. She’s someone who’s worked at different levels of government but, importantly, has worked in the community. She’s a part of this local community in the Redlands,” the Opposition Leader said.

Ms Duff is chief operations officer at the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health and worked as an adviser to Northern Territory MP Warren Snowdon during his time as Australia’s first minister for Indigenous health.

Mr Albanese also blasted Dr Laming, who has held the seat of Bowman since 2004, as a “creep” and an “embarrassment to the community.”

“People in the LNP knew that Andrew Laming had engaged in behaviour that brings politics into disrepute,” he said.

“This community has an opportunity for someone better, someone who truly represent them … Donisha Duff will be on the side of this community.”

Dr Laming is currently on medical leave while he undergoes empathy training after it was revealed he took a photograph of a woman with her underwear exposed in a Brisbane shop. The MP denied taking an ­inappropriate photograph, saying the image was “completely dignified”.

He was also forced to apologise in parliament for harassing women in his electorate online.

Mr Albanese said Bowman did not need a “local MP who needs empathy training”.

“What you need is a local MP who has empathy. Donisha Duff has empathy,” he said.

Ms Duff said she was “absolutely privileged” to be endorsed by Labor for Bowman and claimed the electorate had been neglected under Dr Laming.