Harassment claims aired

SENSATIONAL new details of harassment claims levelled at Whitsunday MP Jason Costigan — including allegations he followed a teen into her room and shut the door behind him, touched her back, stroked her hair and handled a pair of underwear she had dropped — have been aired in State Parliament.

Senior Opposition frontbencher Jarrod Bleijie yesterday used parliamentary privilege to air the full details of the complaint that led to his now exiled former colleague’s dumping by the LNP earlier this month.

Mr Costigan has hit back, again describing the allegations as lies.

“He was half-naked, having just had a shower. He closed the door behind her when they entered the room,” Mr Bleijie, the Leader of Opposition Business, told the House yesterday.

“He touched her on the back and stroked her hair.

“He told her she was pretty. “He told her he liked young girls.”

Mr Bleijie told the House the teenager dropped a pair of underwear in her rush to get out and Mr Costigan picked them up.

“He turned it over in his hands and told her he liked it,” he said.

Mr Costigan last night accused his former colleagues of hiding behind parliamentary privilege to air allegations he insisted were untrue and made him feel sick.

“Some of my parliamentary colleagues have seen fit to use parliamentary privilege to make accusations that they would not have the guts to make outside the House,” he said.

“The accusations made in Parliament today make me sick.

“As I have said previously, I was at that residence by invitation. When I initially met the young lady, yes, I was not wearing a shirt. I had not expected her or anyone for that matter to be there but almost immediately I went and put on one of my footy jerseys.

“I didn’t touch her hair, her back, nothing, absolutely nothing, aside from when she happily posed with me for those selfies.

“What’s been said in relation to this young lady is lies, fantasy or things that have been taken way out of context, to say the least.

“As I have previously said, I intend to pursue damages for defamation.”

The Whitsunday MP was suspended and then expelled from the party earlier this month following allegations he harassed an 18-year-old girl during a chance encounter at a rural Victorian property last month.

Mr Costigan was granted leave from Parliament this week, so was not in the chamber as Mr Bleijie made his statement.

Mr Bleijie told Parliament further allegations had been raised against his former colleague following his dumping.

“Another young woman has made a formal complaint of harassment of a sexual nature and stalking to the LNP about the Member,” he told the House.