Australian ethics MP quits over sexting scandal

An Australian MP caught in a sexting scandal involving 4,000 explicit pictures and texts to his mistress has stepped aside as the chair of the parliamentary ethics committee.

British-born Peter Dowling, 51, a married father of two, was forced to apologise to parliament after being exposed by his dumped mistress.

He also said sorry to his wife Helen, their children and friends for ‘‘the shame and embarrassment I have caused you’’.

Mr Dowling is said to have sent images, including a picture of his penis in a glass of red wine, to his mistress during their two-year affair. He said: “I am not proud of the events plastered all over today’s paper. I can’t and won’t defend any part of it.

“I owe my staff an apology for the calls and emails they will no doubt be fielding. I owe my colleagues, my fellow members an apology for any embarrassment or any poor reflection on the party.” The MP for Redlands in Queensland is a senior member of the Liberal National Party. He has been accused of taking advantage of parliamentary travel to meet his mistress in Perth and New Zealand.

Mr Dowling insisted he had complied with all Parliamentary guidelines in relation to his travel and in repsect of requirements for disclosure.

In a four-page letter to the Queensland speaker, the ex-mistress alleged the pair used his parliamentary annexe bedsit and office for sex. She told Channel Nine TV: “I enjoyed the people’s money too when I stayed in the hotel rooms.”

The woman, who is in her forties and whose name has been kept confidential, said: “I really tried to keep this quiet, but I felt the party really should have known about it because I felt everyone was getting fooled by this person. He’s a public servant, essentially. I know it can be construed that I am being vindictive in what I am doing. But I am just a country girl and I think everyone should be accountable.”

Speaking out about their affair, the mistress he called “Miura” after his favourite Lamborghini, said they enjoyed sex sessions at night in his deserted parliamentary office and that he took her on trips to the UK and Ireland on tax payer-funded fact finding trips.

The woman believed their affair would end in marriage. She said he told her he loved her and “conned” her into believing the pair would be together properly after the 2015 election. “He met my mum,’’ she said. “And he told her that he was in love with me and sorry about the situation but it will change.’’