Not just friends: ministerial affair raises queries
Questions have been raised about the timing of the relationship between the two government ministers, with the opposition comparing them to a couple from a popular sitcom.
It has been revealed that Queensland Olympic and Paralympic Games Minister Tim Mander and Minister for Child Safety and Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Amanda Camm are in a relationship.
Both ministers were forced to make statements on Sunday after correspondence between Mr Mander’s sister-in-law and the prime minister’s office was revealed, seen by AAP.
They claimed that their relationship started in June 2023, while they were both married, ended in May 2024, and then resumed.
They officially explained their situation to the cabinet on July 14, 2025.
This came two weeks after Mr Mander’s sister-in-law wrote to the prime minister, claiming he had left his wife 10 weeks earlier after 44 years of marriage.
Under the code of conduct, ministers must declare any personal relationships and related conflicts of interest within one month of being sworn in or as soon as their circumstances change.
Ms Mander’s sister-in-law also claimed that he admitted the relationship dated back at least two years.
He asked whether Government House or other public resources had been used to facilitate the relationship and noted that Mr Mander had moved into Parliament House after separating from his wife.
In his statement, Mr Mander said he immediately sought advice from the Integrity Commissioner and the Parliamentary Clerk and made all necessary representations in accordance with the Ministerial Code of Conduct.
Deputy Opposition leader Cameron Dick made a reference to the 1990s sitcom Friends on Tuesday, referencing the decade’s most famous on/off screen couple, Ross and Rachel.
He said Premier David Crisafulli “wants Queenslanders to believe that Tim Mander and Amanda Camm are the Ross and Rachel of his government.”
“Nobody’s buying any of this. This isn’t an episode of Friends.”
He said the relationship had raised concerns about the proper discharge of ministerial duties and called on the prime minister to explain the integrity advice he had received and for ministers to confront the media.
“This has nothing to do with their personal relationships, it has everything to do with how their personal relationships intersect with their public duties,” he said.
Questions have been raised over the timing of Mr Mander’s decision to move the 2032 Olympic sailing regatta from Brisbane Bay to the Whitsunday Islands in Ms Camm’s central Queensland constituency.
At a press conference on Sunday, Mr Crisafulli said he only became aware of the relationship when it was officially announced.
He said both ministers told him they had met their obligations and encouraged anyone with evidence of a previous relationship to report any conflict of interest concerns to the Crime and Misconduct Commission.
