Australia news live: Andrew Laming apologises over accusations of online harassment, flood cleanup under way

Once again, Scott Morrison, he has got out the feather* against a Liberal MP in Andrew Laming, who has had vile abuse against his own constituents.

[Laming] delivered a belated apology for abuse that has gone on for year after year against people who have done nothing more, according to Andrew Laming, than be upstanding citizens in their community and have led organisations delivering services in his own community.

Quite frankly, the prime minister’s response is totally inadequate, as it always is, as it always is. He waits and waits and waits and then says, ‘oh, that’s a real concern and I’ll look into it and we will get Andrew Laming to stand up and say he’s sorry’.

This has gone on for a long period of time. I saw distraught people on TV last night, who have suffered from trolling from a federal MP against his own constituents.

I will say this. In my view, Andrew Laming isn’t fit to continue as a member of parliament and if the Liberal party want to continue to associate themselves with him as what a federal public representative would be, then I’ll look forward to campaigning with the Labor candidate in that seat and sending a message, not just to Andrew Laming, but to the entire country that that sort of behaviour is completely unacceptable by removing Andrew Laming from the parliament.