Empathy-trained Andrew Laming on attack

The outgoing Lib MP has again targeted the two constituents whose allegations of his online harassment led him to resign.

Outgoing federal Liberal MP Andrew Laming has again attacked the two female constituents whose allegations of his online harassment led him to deliver a parliamentary apology to them before he resigned from politics.

Just weeks after completing empathy and cultural sensitivity training ordered by Scott Morrison, Dr Laming has accused the two women of levelling “trumped-up” and “petty” allegations earlier this year, that ended his career.

In an email to Liberal National Party branch members in his electorate of Bowman, on Brisbane’s bayside, the veteran MP attempted to frame himself as a victim of a “carefully choreographed” campaign by the two women, Alix Russo and Sheena Hewlett, in the media.

In March, the Prime Minister described Dr Laming’s online trolling of the women as “disgraceful” before the veteran backbencher delivered an apology to them for his behaviour over several years.

In parliament, Dr Laming described Ms Russo and Mrs Hewlett as “highly regarded individuals’’ within his Brisbane community and that he retracted the comments he made online about them and issued an “unreserved apology”. But in his email to branch members, Dr Laming accused both of being “long-time political opponents” and that he was only “replying to their trolling”.

“It is extraordinary that I am left to prove my innocence, based on petty allegations trumped-up to be criminal in nature,” he said.

“This blizzard of media accu­sations was carefully choreographed to never result in a formal complaint, most likely because they wanted to avoid a fair assessment of these complaints at all costs.”

Ms Russo founded a charity for local homeless people and Mrs Hewlett is the wife of a Redland City councillor in Dr Laming’s electorate. They had aired their online treatment by Dr Laming in a Nine News report.

In his email, Dr Laming — who recently revealed he was ­diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) — made other allegations about the women.

Ms Russo told The Australian last night that she wished Dr Laming would “leave us alone”.

“He has a history of harassment,” she said.

“The Prime Minister saw the evidence and believed us and now he (Dr Laming) is trying to rewrite history.”

The email emerged as it was revealed that Dr Laming had reneged on his statement, given after his apology in the House of Representatives in March to Ms Russo and Mrs Hewlett, to “step down from all parliamentary roles”.

On Tuesday, coalition MPs voted against a Labor push to remove Dr Laming as chair of the Employment, Education and Training committee.

Queensland Labor Senator Anthony Chisholm said Dr Laming did not deserve to be in parliament.

“Dr Laming is showing zero remorse for his disgraceful behaviour over many years,” he said.

“The fact that he is continuing to treat his local constituents in such a way shows why he doesn’t belong in parliament.

“And the LNP voting to protect his position as chair of a parliamentary committee is a complete failure from the Prime Minister and the Coalition.”

When contacted about the email to branch members, Dr Laming said in a text: “My personal explanation in Parl (parliament) is my answer.’’

Dr Laming claimed he was “misrepresented” by the Labor Party as a “taxpayer funded troll”.

“To misrepresent the work that I’ve done on Facebook responding to comments of others has been characterised as harassment,” he told Question Time.

“To refer to me and misrepresent me as a ‘taxpayer-funded troll’ for my online work, with all posts remaining online and visible to the public, is a misrepresentation and a reflection on my character.”

Nominations for the LNP preselection for Dr Laming’s seat close on Wednesday.