The timeline of the relationship between Liberal National party ministers Amanda Camm and Tim Mander has come under scrutiny, sparking a bitter slanging match in the Queensland parliament. The episode, described as a descent into 'rumours and innuendoes,' has left both the government and opposition bruised just days before the Stafford byelection.
The 'Ross and Rachel' of Queensland Parliament
The walls of the Queensland parliament have long held secrets. In the late 1970s, former premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen had a secret spa bath installed in the penthouse suite of the annexe, a purpose-built hotel for MPs attached to parliament house. Stories about what goes on in the annexe are common, with one MP noting that 'you can physically hear MPs entering one another’s rooms.'
This week, parliament descended into a chamber of 'rumours and innuendoes' as claims and counter-claims about the romantic lives of ministers and MPs were made on the floor of the legislative assembly under parliamentary privilege. The episode has left few with enhanced credibility.
Origins of the Scandal
The story began in the annexe, where rumours of a romantic link between Sport and Olympics Minister Tim Mander and Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm had been the 'worst kept secret' in Queensland politics since before the LNP’s election win in 2024. Whispers that Mander, a former NRL referee and CEO of the Scripture Union, had separated from his wife started in early 2025 when he began spending most of his time at the annexe.
In July last year, Mander and Camm went public about their relationship. The news made a few gossip columns but was largely treated as a private matter until last month, when reports in the Australian led Labor’s state secretary, Ben Driscoll, to write to the Australian Electoral Commission requesting an investigation into Mander’s voter enrolment. Mander had switched his enrolment address to the home of a staffer, but he denies any wrongdoing.
Media reporting then focused on the timeline of the relationship, whether it had been appropriately disclosed, and whether decisions were made to benefit each other’s electorates. Mander and Camm say they had a personal relationship while the LNP was in opposition, but it ended before the 2024 election, after which they both became ministers. They claim they reconnected last year, made appropriate declarations, and implemented integrity measures.
Deputy Opposition Leader Cameron Dick remarked, 'Tim Mander and Amanda Camm say they were in a relationship for about a year. Then they weren’t. Then they were.' He accused Premier David Crisafulli of trying to portray them as 'the Ross and Rachel of his government.'
Political Fallout
At a press conference last week, Crisafulli responded calmly, stating, 'I have this view that privacy matters and so too does ministerial accountability. I will not go into people’s private lives.' However, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie threatened to go further, saying, 'If they want to go down this rabbit warren of who was sleeping with who … then we will go there.'
When parliament resumed on Tuesday, Labor asked about the declaration of the relationship. Bleijie rose under parliamentary privilege and named five Labor MPs, threatened to reveal further information, and questioned the public timeline of the former relationship of Mark Bailey and Meaghan Scanlon, both ministers in the former government. Bailey told parliament, 'I take personal offence at the insinuations, which are false.'
Grubby Politics
Labor insiders say the party had planned to keep asking questions but changed tack as counter-claims emerged. Labor referred Mander, Camm, and Crisafulli to the Crime and Corruption Commission on Wednesday, effectively ending debate on the matter while it is assessed.
John Mickel, a former Labor speaker and now political commentator, said he could not recall a similar debate in state parliament. 'An allegation based on rumours of people having sexual relationships was always a no go zone,' he said, adding that the episode plays into narratives pushed by populist rightwing parties like One Nation.
The state government appears confident about its chances in the Stafford byelection on Saturday. Labor insiders expressed concern that the party’s strategy focused too much on 'getting hits' instead of defining itself. One senior party figure said, 'The threat is not the LNP. The threat is an existential crisis, and how do the two major parties survive? It’s not by doing the same old mud-slinging politics.'
Among LNP MPs, there is a sense that Labor provoked the fight and Bleijie finished it. While none outright said the government’s strategy went too far, a few expressed unease about the tone of debate. 'The best thing about this week is that it’s nearly over,' one said on Thursday.
