Michelle Rowland faces calls to resign for accepting gaming company donations before election

Michelle Rowland, the communications minister, was accused in parliament on Thursday of a ‘grievous error of judgment’ in accepting donations from Sportsbet before the May election. She said she met all disclosure requirements. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Crossbenchers have called on the communications minister, Michelle Rowland, to resign or be sacked following revelations she accepted donations from a gaming company before the May election.

The Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie declared in federal parliament on Thursday that Rowland – who has policy responsibility for interactive gaming – was “completely and utterly conflicted” as a consequence of the donations and had made “a grievous error of judgment” that disqualified her from sitting on the front bench.