The wife of the former Queensland MP Peter Dowling says she has forgiven him but not the media after it was revealed he had sent his lover a picture of himself dipping his penis in a glass of wine.



Helen Dowling told ABC radio on Thursday she could not forgive the other woman or the media’s reporting of the matter in 2013.



Dowling was dumped as the Liberal National party candidate in his seat of Redlands for January’s state election after the woman wrote to parliament revealing they had had sex in his parliamentary office and he had texted her the photo of his penis.



Speaking publicly about the affair on Thursday, Helen Dowling said she had forgiven her husband but that was where her generosity ended.



“There are two people I haven’t forgiven,” she told ABC Radio. “One is that person, the female, and one is the media – that person who wrote the story.”

Peter Dowling also had a shot at the media, saying he was disappointed in himself but did not need forgiveness.



“I don’t know that I needed forgiveness, and that sounds so arrogant,” he said. “I am so apologetic and sorry for what spun out of it.

“Part of me is so incredibly angry that something that had absolutely nothing to do with the world became so public and it was for the edification of a journalist who thought she had a ‘gotcha’ moment.”



He said it was unlikely he would run for public office again and was yet to see what impact the reports would have on his ability to find another job.