Amanda Camm, a minister in the Queensland government, has resigned from the cabinet. As she told reporters on Friday, the decision to step down was "entirely my own". The resignation came after months of pressure over how the state government had handled the child protection system and efforts to prevent domestic violence.
Camm suggested that some criticism of her had crossed the line of "public scrutiny and accountability". She cited a recent alleged attack on federal MP Helen Haines as a reason for leaving. During the past year, she said, she had experienced harassment, threats, abuse and defamation. "Public scrutiny and accountability are central to our democracy and institutions. Harassment, threats, abuse and personal defamation are not. And that has been my experience over the past year. There is still much work to do", Camm stated. She added that the attack on Haines had "heightened the importance of taking seriously the concerns about the personal health, safety and wellbeing of people in public life".
Camm had recently taken six weeks of medical leave, during which she underwent surgery. She said she had realised that her recovery would be "long-term" and that due to the scope of the work and "chronic stresses" she would not be able to continue performing ministerial duties. "It would be unfair to the government for me to take additional leave", she said.
Before going on leave, Camm had been the most pressured minister in the government. Her relationship with Tim Mander, the minister for sport and the Olympic Games, had put both under scrutiny in parliament and the media. Her dual responsibilities – child protection and domestic violence prevention – had placed pressure on Camm regarding her performance.
The government had been the target of criticism over claims that children in state care were sleeping on the floors of government offices. Child protection workers linked these claims to government policies, including the cancellation of contracts with some residential care providers. Camm was also under pressure over budget cuts for domestic violence prevention and a lack of progress on reforms demanded by the previous government’s women’s safety and justice working group. The Guardian Australia reported that Camm had ignored the findings of a panel of domestic violence victims-survivors, which had been highly critical of the police. Her office told one member that they were no longer welcome to contact them by phone.
Premier David Crisafulli said he wanted to "support Amanda" and that Camm was not being removed because of her performance. It is believed the government will not initiate a broader reconstruction, but will appoint a new face to the ministry as a replacement for Camm. A replacement is expected to be announced later on Friday. Among those being considered for promotion is former senator and Morrison government figure Amanda Stoker, who was elected to the state parliament in 2024.
