A federal MP who was forced to apologise for trolling two of his constituents online has prompted fury by backtracking in a social media post.
Pressure is growing on Scott Morrison to remove Andrew Laming, the Liberal National Party member for Bowman, amid allegations he hid in bushes to take picture of one of the women.
‘In this climate – I willingly apologise – I didn’t even know what for at 4pm when I did it,’ Mr Laming wrote on a Facebook post, which has since been deleted.
Mr Laming was forced to apologise after telling a charity worker, Alix Russo, on Facebook: ‘Unfortunately for you, I make the rules and you follow them.’
Ms Russo, a single mother who said the trolling left her suicidal, told Nine News: ‘I want to be alive, I don’t want to be attacked anymore.’
‘This man has to stop. He cannot continue abusing his community like this.’
Queensland MP Andrew Laming claimed in a now-deleted Facebook post that he did not even know what he was apologising for – and accompanied his comment with laughing emojis
Screen grabs of Mr Laming’s now-deleted Facebook post in which he laughed off the apology he made to Alix Russo and Sheena Hewlett in parliament
Sheena Hewlett, a schoolteacher, said Mr Laming – who was elected to Federal parliament in 2004 – asked for her teaching timetable then hid in bushes while taking photos of her in 2019. The incidents were reported to police.
Mr Laming’s social media response to his own apology was accompanied by several laughing emojis – which he claimed were accidently posted by his phone when he put it in his pocket, news.com.au reported.
‘Andrew Laming isn’t fit to be an MP,’ said Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese on Twitter on Friday evening.
‘If the PM wants to stand by him, then that’s a matter for him… this bloke doesn’t belong in our nation’s Parliament.’
Asked on Saturday if he Mr Laming was ‘fit to run as a Liberal’, Mr Morrison said it was a matter for the LNP Queensland division.
Ms Hewlett has also said she complained about Mr Laming ‘countless times’ both under Mr Morrison and Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership, The Australian reported.
Retired former MP Tony Windsor added his voice to an avalanche of calls on social media to remove Mr Laming from office.
Mr Laming accused Alix Russo (left) of misappropriating funds at a homeless charity, while Sheena Hewlett (right) said she was forced to contact police after claiming Mr Laming hid in the bushes and took photos of her in a public park
‘Now that Andrew Laming has made light of his apology and your directions to apologise Scott Morrison you have two options – sack him or call in the police to investigate his behaviour.’
A screen shot of one of Andrew Laming’s online comments to charity worker Alix Russo
‘The fact that he thinks it is all a bit of a joke leaves you with no alternative. Lead.’
On Twitter, Mr Laming was trending with the hashtag #SackLaming also popular.
‘I’ve checked with a couple of Liberal National party people I am familiar with in Queensland and said, “Is this bloke a complete f***wit?”‘ 2GB radio host Ray Hadley said on air.
‘And they replied yes, he is. He is,’ Hadley said.
Mr Laming apologised for causing Ms Russo and Ms Hewlett distress in a speech in Parliament on Thursday.
It came after being hauled into the PM’s office, conceding his social media commentary had caused significant distress to two ‘well regarded individuals’ of his electorate.
He also apologised to the women in writing.
‘His comments were not acceptable to both women and also to the Prime Minister,’ a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office said.
‘Every Australian has the right to feel safe online and Mr Laming has made a commitment to change his online communication practices.’
Scott Morrison is coming under heavy pressure to remove Andrew Laming from office after the Queensland MP made light of his apology to two women for trolling them
A statement issued by Mr Laming on Thursday, where he issued ‘an unreserved public apology’
The Facebook exchanges sparked accusations of slander, stealing and stalking, with one of the women claiming she was left feeling suicidal.
‘I want to express my regret and deep apologies for the hurt and the distress that communication may have caused,’ Mr Laming’s apology.
‘I want to retract those comments and issue a public unreserved apology.’
The Liberal National Party backbencher, who regularly attracts criticism for his behaviour and comments on social media, acknowledged he had lessons to learn about his use of words.
‘I have made a concerted effort to understand the impact of these responses upon others and demonstrate a clear change in the way I communicate,’ he said.
‘I want to say to any person who has received correspondence from me which fell short of what they expect from an MP that I intend to own that failure and apologise without hesitation.’
Liberal MP Andrew Laming (pictured) was forced to apologise to the two Brisbane women who accused him of online abuse – but later made light of the apology
Mr Morrison had demanded Mr Laming stop using social media to troll the women.
‘At the Prime Minister’s request, the Member for Bowman issued an unreserved public apology,’ a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office said.
In one Facebook post, Mr Laming accused Ms Russo, a single mother, of misappropriating funds at a homeless charity.
‘You can’t be trusted with other people’s’ (sic) money. That’s why your organisation is drying up,’ Mr Laming claimed on Facebook.
Ms Hewlett said she was forced to contact police after claiming Mr Laming hid in the bushes and took photos of her in a public park, which were later posted to Facebook.
Ms Hewlett, a teacher, also claimed Mr Laming rang the school where she is employed, demanding to know her work timetable.
‘I certainly fear for my family,’ Ms Hewlett said.
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