Written by Brittney Levinson
Edited for online by Eliza Buzacott-Speer

Troubled MP Billy Gordon today attempted to explain to State Parliament recent accusations made against him of avoiding child support payments.

Labor-turned-Independent member for Cook on March 27 publicly announced he was up-to-date with child support payments owed to his former partner.

But today he admitted he misled the House while attempting to respond to the claims made against him.

Mr Gordon told Parliament that a week after he made the statement he was told he still owed his ex-partner $24.13.

“I did not knowingly mislead the Parliament when I stated that outstanding amounts had been paid to Kristy [Peckham, his ex-partner],” he said.

“My answer was truthfully based on the information I had to hand.”

He told the House he wanted to resolve the issue.

“I am committed to rectifying the situation which is why, now, I am in an arrangement with the child support agency to take a calculated amount of my wage on a regular basis to make up the unpaid child support,” Mr Gordon said.

Mr Gordon also criticised the way the case was handled by the media before he was cut off by the Speaker, Peter Wellington.

“I entered Parliament with my eyes wide open, knowing it could be a rough business,” he said.

“What I didn’t expect, in my very first month in this Parliament was to feel the full ugly force of unethical, agenda-driven media, driven by the unbridled ambitions of some.”

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg took a stab at the Labor government and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

“They campaigned for the Member for Cook,” Mr Springborg said.

“They accepted the Member for Cook and they met with the Member for Cook.

“Also, they then made excuses for the Member for Cook.

“They ditched the Member for Cook and now they’re embracing the Member for Cook.”

Mr Wellington told Mr Springborg he would not be referred to the parliamentary ethics committee for releasing confidential documents about Mr Gordon’s child support payments.