Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au

Aaron Bunch
I was just taking selfies with her: Qld MP

A Queensland MP facing expulsion from his party says harassment claims against him are “utter crap” and he’s done nothing wrong.

January 31, 2019

An embattled Queensland MP facing expulsion from the LNP insists he just took a few selfies with a teenager, but his party leader says reports of his behaviour made her skin crawl.

Whitsunday MP Jason Costigan has denied having done anything sinister amid claims his topless conduct toward an 18-year-old had left her “traumatised by his revoltingness.”

“It’s utter crap,” Mr Costigan told reporters on Thursday.

“Yeah, we took some selfies. How many of you people know I love a selfie, love a photo, put the old arm around, you all know that.”

Mr Costigan has been suspended from the LNP over his alleged behaviour and is expected to be expelled when the party’s executive meets on Friday.

He denies doing anything to the teenager who turned up at a house he was visiting.

He says rather than being shirtless with her, he had pulled his favourite rugby jumper on when she arrived.

“The young lady at the centre of this … she was there for about half an hour or so, and nothing bad happened, nothing sinister happened,” the MP said.

“It sounds like a great story. It is a great story, I’m an old journo, it’s a cracker of a yarn except it’s BS – shirtless encounter!”

 Mr Costigan said he’d spoken with a defamation lawyer and would be pursuing the matter “like there’s no tomorrow.”

Earlier, LNP leader Deb Frecklington said Mr Costigan didn’t have the morals to be in the party.

“As a mum of three girls I can tell you, it made my skin crawl … the allegation makes me feel sick,” she said.

The teenager’s family’s complaint has been referred to police in another state, Ms Frecklington said.

Despite the LNP only hearing of the allegations a week ago, the matter has already been before the LNP disputes committee, which found the MP’s conduct breached the party’s constitution and recommended his expulsion.

Ms Fecklington would not go into details about the complaint.

But The Courier-Mail reported seeing an email detailing claims the MP left the teen “traumatised by his revoltingness”.

The email describes how the teenager found the shirtless MP only partially dressed.

“His behaviour from that point was extraordinary,” the paper said, citing the email.

Mr Costigan raised eyebrows last year when he posted a video online of himself with two women in swimwear to mark World Bikini Day.

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