Cook MP Billy Gordon. That federal government legislation includes a 12-month jail term for people found guilty of the unauthorised release of relevant information. In a media conference Monday morning Mr Springborg said his office provided the information to the Queensland press gallery, alleging both Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Mr Gordon misled Parliament in April when they initially told Parliament the issue had been dealt with. "For those of you who were in parliament a month or so ago, you will realise that at that stage both the Premier and Mr Gordon stood up in Parliament and indicated that this issue had been dealt with," Mr Springborg said. "That child support had been paid, and that there were no outstanding issues and it had all been dealt with," he said.

Mr Springborg this morning argued that documents were released to prove both Ms Palaszczuk and Mr Gordon had misled Parliament. "These documents, and other information, actually prove that this is not the case," he said. Mr Springborg rejected comments that the documents did not show this was the case. "They actually do clearly indicate that – at the time when the Honourable Member for Cook stood up in Parliament - that there were amounts outstanding and it has been since that time that has actually worsened as well," he said. "And these are also words which are attributable to his spouse as well."

Mr Springborg did not deny his office released the documents when he was asked about Mr Gordon's children being named. He said there was "no expectation" of the children's names or identity being published. "They were distributed by way of background information with no expectation that they would be published," Mr Springborg said. "And that was the information that was given to the gallery at the time." Mr Springborg said Mr Gordon's call for an inquiry to the Child Support Agency to investigate the release of confidential information was a smokescreen.

"The increasingly strident and over the top language from the Premier and Billy Gordon today are nothing more than a smokescreen to cover the fact that they both misled Parliament." Mr Springborg did not directly answer if he believed he had broken the law in releasing confidential Child Support information, as alleged by Mr Gordon. "If he chooses to take that particular path, then that is a matter for Billy Gordon," he said. "Billy Gordon is not the victim here. "His children, and his wife, who were subject to that fact that he did not pay thousands of dollars in child support on time in accordance with his obligations as their father is the one who has questions to answer."

Fairfax Media has sent questions to Federal Human Services Minister Marise Payne, who oversees the Child Support Agency, after observing that the legislation makes it clear that un-authorised release of information could warrant a 12-month prison term. Earlier Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the alleged distribution of private details pertaining to Mr Gordon's two children to media was "an all-time low" for the LNP. Mr Gordon left the Labor party following the first parliamentary sitting week of the newly elected Palaszczuk Government last month after the emergence of allegations of domestic violence, unpaid child support and an undisclosed criminal history. In a statement issued on Monday, the Cook MP accused Mr Springborg of "gutter politics" by using his two children as political pawns. "I condemn the gutter tactics of Lawrence Springborg, who has disseminated confidential information about my two young children for political gain," Mr Gordon said.

"By showing he'll do anything to get me out of parliament and force his way into the premier's suite he has disqualified himself from high office." Queensland's 89 seat state parliament is closely divided with the Labor Party holding 43 seats, the LNP holding 42 seats, Katter's Australian Party holding two seats, with the remaining two seats held by independent Peter Wellington and now Mr Gordon, who was sacked from the Labor Party.