Scott Morrison won’t banish MP Andrew Laming to crossbench

Scott Morrison is refusing to direct outgoing Liberal MP Andrew Laming to the crossbench over his mistreatment of women.

Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne at Parliament House on Monday. Picture: Martin Ollman

Scott Morrison is refusing to direct outgoing Liberal MP Andrew Laming to the crossbench over his mistreatment of women, insisting the Queenslander has done “something quite significant” by announcing he will not contest the next election.

The Prime Minister, whose government would be plunged into minority if Dr Laming left the party, has stood by the Bowman MP despite saying last week “we must get this house in order”.

Liberal senator Sarah Henderson told The Australian Dr Laming’s behaviour was “completely unacceptable” and she felt “very uncomfortable” about him sitting in partyroom.

Environment Minister Sussan Ley said she would “revisit my ­expectations” on how she felt sharing a partyroom with him when he returned from medical leave and underwent “empathy training”.

Nine News on Monday reported Crystal White, the woman Dr Laming took a photo of while she was bending over in 2019, went toCleveland police station in Brisbane to begin a complaint process against him. Sean Blinco, a co-worker, also made a policereport.

Queensland Police said on Monday night it was in the initial stages of assessing the allegations.

Dr Laming was forced to announce he would quit at the next election after Mr Morrison counselled him at the weekend over his behaviour, including allegedly harassing female constituents online and taking an inappropriate photo of Ms White.

“He has done something quite significant. He has said he is not seeking re-election. That is not a small thing to do, to walk away from a career in politics that he has served his community now for many, many years,” Mr Morrison said. “He reflected on the con­versation he and I had over … the weekend and I’m pleased he is taking that instruction to get that support, to change his be­haviour, and I believe we will see him ­return better for that experience and better able, I think, to provide his colleagues with the ­assurances they are seeking (that his ­behaviour will change).”

Mr Morrison said he was using the “same approach that other governments have” by relying on Dr Laming’s vote.

Former prime minister Julia Gillard relied on Craig Thomson’s vote to stay in government but ultimately banished him from the Labor partyroom over alle­gations of misuse of union funds.

The Liberal National Party is under pressure to reopen nominations for preselection in Dr Laming’s safe Brisbane bayside seat after some branch members complained that the only can­didate to nominate was not local.

LNP senator Amanda Stoker, Redlands mayor Karen Williams, deputy mayor Julie Talty and former state candidate for Redlands Henry Pike are all suggested as candidates to replace Dr Laming.

The Australian on Monday reported businesswoman Fran Ward was the only nominee for preselection when Dr Laming was still in the race.

LNP sources said she nominated after being approached by local branch members and had the backing of the new Home Affairs Minister, and most senior female Queensland representative, Karen Andrews.

Dr Laming on Monday apologised for hurting people’s feelings, but denied he had done anything factually wrong.

He told ABC Radio Brisbane his “hard questions” had been “reinvented” as harassment, a “completely dignified” photograph of a young woman was misconstrued as inappropriate.

Labor, which is demanding Dr Laming immediately quit parliament, seized on Mr Morrison’s refusal to take stronger action. Anthony Albanese questioned how Dr Laming remaining in the Liberal partyroom helped the PM’s “so-called reset”.