Embattled minister quits citing threats, health issues

Andrew Stafford | October 23, 2026

An embattled state minister has cited the alleged attack on federal MP Helen Haines and health issues for stepping down from her role.

Amanda Camm, Queensland’s minister for domestic and family violence and child safety, has faced months of scrutiny over her performance, with her department and private life in turmoil.

But she told reporters it had been her decision to relinquish her post.

“It has been my decision and mine alone,” she said on Friday with Premier David Crisafulli standing alongside her.

She also cited this week’s alleged attack on federal independent MP Helen Haines, who has lost both legs after she was hit by a car outside her electorate office in the regional Victorian city of Wangaratta.

Ms Camm said she, too, had been targeted by threats and harassment.

“The devastating incident involving Helen Haines has reinforced the importance of taking concerns about personal health, safety and wellbeing of people in public life very seriously,” she said.

”Public scrutiny and accountability are essential to democracy and to our institutions; harassment, threats, bullying, and personal vilification are not.

“And for the past year, this has been my experience.”

It was also revealed on Friday the electorate office of federal minister Anika Wells had been temporarily closed after an incident on Wednesday.

Police confirmed a 47-year-old woman had been arrested and charged with committing a public nuisance outside Ms Wells’ Nundah office, in Brisbane’s northern suburbs.

However, while Ms Camm denied she had been forced to step down, the minister has been under sustained pressure after a series of child safety failures.

Data in September showed the number of Queensland children known to child safety authorities who had died had gone up almost 60 per cent in a year.

In June, it was revealed that children in state care were sleeping on mattresses in government offices.

A bungled rollout of an IT system costing $183 million left child safety officers unable to access vital information, including court orders, for at-risk children.

Domestic and family violence services were cut by $38.5 million in the state budget.

Queensland’s child safety system had been under-resourced and mismanaged for too long, trade union boss Dee Spink said.

“We’ve already had six weeks of ministerial leave, two acting ministers, and no meaningful progress on the problems frontline workers have been raising,” the Together Union assistant secretary said in a statement.

Ms Camm returned from six weeks’ medical leave last week, having previously spoken of battling chronic migraines.

Ms Camm’s personal life came under scrutiny after her extramarital relationship with Olympics and Paralympics minister Tim Mander became public earlier in 2026.

It led to Mr Mander briefly stepping down, as the Australian Electoral Commission investigated allegations he had broken voter enrolment rules after moving out of his family home when his marriage ended.

The pair insisted they had fulfilled their obligations to report any conflicts of interest and adhered to the parliamentary code of conduct.

While Ms Camm will remain as the MP for Whitsunday in north Queensland, she refused to commit to recontesting the seat at the next election, due by October 2028.

Mr Crisafulli said an announcement in regard to Ms Camm’s replacement would be made soon, avoiding a cabinet reshuffle.

He said Ms Camm had inherited a “broken system”, denying he had forced her to step aside.

The opposition has repeatedly called for Ms Camm to be sacked.

Opposition Leader Steven Miles slammed the premier for not acting sooner.

“It’s incredible to me that David Crisafulli is pretending that there is nothing wrong,” he said.

“If ever there was a day for him to put aside the spin and acknowledge the failures of his government in child safety, it should have been today.”