Mark Latham denies abuse claims made in court documents by former partner
The allegations, which were reported on Monday night by The Australian, are detailed in an application for a domestic violence order filed with the New South Wales local court by Latham's former partner, Nathalie Matthews. The publication said Matthews gave them permission to identify her but refused to comment further.
In the documents filed in support of the application, Matthews reportedly claims Latham engaged in a 'sustained pattern' of abuse, including emotional, psychological and financial manipulation.
Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email
Late on Monday, Latham issued an emphatic denial about the claims, saying they were 'absolute rubbish' and declaring he had not yet been served with any order.
In a statement posted on X, Latham said Matthews' claims were 'comical and ridiculous', adding he had 'scores of documents to show that' and would rely on those documents to defend himself.
Matthews, who runs a logistics company in Dubai, Sydney and Perth, is seeking an initial interim order that Latham not come within 100m of her, and a final two-year order, according to The Australian.
Guardian Australia does not suggest that the claims against Latham are true, just that they have been made in the course of an application for a domestic violence order and will be contested in court. The matter will be mentioned at the Downing Centre local court on 30 July.
The publication reported it was understood Matthews had taken the allegations to NSW police, but 'they have not laid any charges or applied for an order on her behalf.' Guardian Australia has contacted the police for comment.
Labor's upper house leader, Penny Sharpe, said on Tuesday the claims were 'allegations, and obviously, I can't make too much of them'.
'But I'll make this point: the Labor government's been calling out Mark Latham for several months now in relation to a whole range of different things,' she said.
'There is a real question for some of the other parties in the parliament that they continue to work so closely with Mark Latham on a number of issues. The Liberals and the Greens have been working closely with him in the upper house; I think they need to reconsider that.'
Sign up to Breaking News Australia
Get the most important news as it breaks
after newsletter promotion
Sharpe said that when parliament resumed in August, she had two motions before the house, including one to refer Latham to the privileges committee over his behaviour disclosing unauthorised information under parliamentary privilege.
She said she also had a more general motion calling into question his overall behaviour.
'Mark Latham has some questions to answer on a whole range of behaviours,' she said.
In June, the NSW premier, Chris Minns,criticised Latham's behaviour, after Latham used parliamentary privilege to reveal confidential medical records relating to NSW MP Alex Greenwich, who won $140,00 in a defamation payment last year over a vile homophobic tweet Latham made about him. Minns accused Latham in question time of being a 'shameful bigot', claiming the former One Nation MP had effectively ignored hundreds of antisemitic attacks in the state.
.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Craig Johnston led a band of union thugs in violently trashing an office while a pregnant woman cowered in fear. They said he wouldn't be welcome back.... These exclusive photos show what REALLY happened
One of Australia's most powerful unions has sparked outrage by awarding life membership to a previously jailed and expelled official who took revenge on a company by rampaging through its offices and terrorising its employees. Craig Johnston, the former Victorian Secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), was honoured at the union's state conference in May - despite being booted from the group in 2004. Johnston made headlines in 2001 after he led 30 balaclava-clad men in a violent 'run-through' through the offices of Skilled Engineering in Box Hill, in Melbourne 's east. The group smashed windows with chairs, overturned filing cabinets, trashed computers, and sprayed fire suppressant throughout the offices. A pregnant woman was among the staff members who were screamed at and threatened by the intruders during the terrifying rampage. Skilled Engineering, a labour hire firm, was targeted by Johnston and his cronies following a dispute over redundancies and the use of non-unionised labour. Johnston was later found guilty in Melbourne Magistrates' Court of riot, affray, criminal damage, and aggravated burglary. He was sentenced to nine months in prison in August 2004, fined $10,000, and ordered to pay $44,000 in compensation. A separate investigation by the AMWU in July of the same year saw him expelled from the union for misconduct. At the time, then-AMWU National Secretary and ACTU Vice-President Doug Cameron - who later became a Labor senator - publicly condemned Johnston, declaring he 'would not be welcome back' in the union. 'We expelled him for some serious misconduct and, as far as we are concerned, what he does as an individual is up to him,' Cameron told ABC Radio in 2005. 'But he will not be coming back as an AMWU member.' Yet at the recent AMWU conference, Johnston was photographed celebrating alongside several high-profile union figures, Daily Mail Australia can reveal. Some of those pictured were supporters of embattled Victorian CFMEU Secretary John Setka, who resigned following explosive allegations of corruption and links to organised crime within that union. The award given to Johnston noted his 'recognition of a life spent advancing the lives of working men, women and their families'. It also features the quote, 'Dare to struggle, dare to win', which was popularised by Chinese Communist Party founder Mao Zedong, whose policies, including the Great Leap Forward, are estimated to have caused the deaths of up to 45million people. The decision to grant Johnston life membership was criticised by Victorian Opposition Leader Brad Battin. 'It's concerning that someone previously jailed for violent workplace invasions is being celebrated,' Battin said. 'I'm sure many decent unionists and workers share my view that this sends a dangerous message: intimidation and violence can be rewarded.' Photos from the event show Johnston posting with CFMEU National Secretary and Setka supporter Zach Smith, with one man pictured wearing a 'Free Johnston' t-shirt, a slogan used by Union activists during Johnston's jail term. He was also pictured rubbing shoulders with Christy Cain, the retired National Secretary of the CFMEU, who remains one of Mr Setka's loudest backers. Troy Gray, Victorian Secretary of the Electrical Trades Union, also attended the event. Meanwhile, the CFMEU remains under administration across Australia, following a failed High Court challenge last month. The Queensland Government has launched a commission of inquiry into the state's CFMEU branch after a damning report by barrister Geoffrey Watson. Watson's report uncovered a culture of entrenched misconduct, including allegations of violence and harassment against women, which he described as possibly the single worst aspect of the violence perpetrated by the CFMEU. The inquiry will use its full powers to probe what the government has called a deeply embedded culture of bullying, intimidation, misogyny, and corruption within the powerful construction union. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Victorian AMWU, Australian Council of Trade Unions and Victorian Treasurer and Industrial Relations Minister Jaclyn Symes for comment.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Social services department warned Tanya Plibersek she faces uphill battle amid ‘political polarisation'
Tanya Plibersek has an uphill battle to justify and prioritise Australia's multibillion-dollar social services system, her department has warned, against a backdrop of 'rising geopolitical tensions and political polarisation'. The Department of Social Services, which is responsible for a quarter of federal government spending, delivered the warning to the new social services minister about the flow-on effects of global uncertainty in a brief dated 13 May and obtained by Guardian Australia under freedom of information laws. Uncertainty, prompted by current conflicts, their aftermath and escalations in trade hostilities could worsen income inequality and weaken resilience, the department warned in its incoming government briefing, sent after the May federal election. 'The frequency and intensity of economic and environmental shocks are pushing more people into more vulnerable situations, increasing the risk of entrenched disadvantage,' the brief said. 'This can compound with regional vulnerabilities due to extreme weather events, industry shutdown and existing economic inequality.' There were also concerns that intergenerational inequalities were growing, with the department warning more young Australians are relying 'on family for financial support and/or housing well into adulthood' and delaying milestones including education, employment, family and home ownership. While the brief noted there had been advances in women's and First Nations people's workforce participation and the gender pay gap, the department said including people with disability, social attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people, and valuing multiculturalism and the contribution of migrants were central policy concerns. The department acknowledged a stronger focus on security and managing economic risk could place pressures on the minister to 'justify and prioritise payments, programs and services'. 'This will require increased focus on policies that demonstrate value for money and lead to improvements in employment, social inclusion and overall wellbeing,' the advice said. 'Achieving this will require reforms to be disciplined and have a robust evidence base, taking advantage of opportunities to improve productivity and impact. It will also require unlocking existing opportunities in sectors experiencing employment growth such as the care and support economy.' A government spokesperson said it is 'absolutely devoted to delivering on our election commitments', including expanding paid parental leave to six months and cracking down on financial abuse in domestic violence. 'The government appreciates candour and frank and fearless advice from its departments and agencies,' the spokesperson said. The department is responsible for approximately $198bn, or 25%, of all commonwealth expenditure in 2025-26, which will increase to $206bn over the next four years. The majority of its spending, about $153bn, is on personal benefits. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion In a more detailed breakdown of the challenges Australia is facing, the department noted social cohesion was declining 'rapidly' after peaking during the Covid-19 pandemic, referencing studies by the Scanlon Institute. Loneliness in certain cohorts, such as young men aged between 15 and 24, could see them targeted by extremist groups, which can be linked to misogyny and violence against women, the briefing noted. Community concern about the inadequacy of income support payments was also addressed, with the brief acknowledging that increases to rent support payments since 2023 have failed to address housing stress for many recipients. The department stated that low- and middle-income taxpayers are 'subsidising the retirement incomes of seniors with significant wealth in addition to their homes' under social security reform. The age pension is provided to couples with incomes of almost $100,000 a year or assets of almost $1.05m, in addition to their principal home, which can be of unlimited value, the department noted. 'Age pensioners generally maintain or grow their assets in the last five years prior to their death. By contrast, a single job seeker without children who has more than $11,500 in liquid assets must wait 13 weeks before any income support becomes payable,' the department said.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Fixing Australia's broken environment laws hold key to productivity, ex-Treasury head says
Fixing the nation's broken environment protection laws is the most important reform the Albanese government can pursue to boost productivity, and holds the key to meeting climate and housing targets, according to former treasury secretary Ken Henry. Henry, now the chair of the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation, will use a speech to the National Press Club as a rallying cry to federal parliament to finally agree on a rewrite of the quarter-century old Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. 'We have had all the reviews we need. All of us have had our say. It is now up to parliament. Let's just get this done,' Henry will say in Wednesday's speech, according to extracts supplied to Guardian Australia. The environment minister, Murray Watt, is designing a new package of federal nature laws after Anthony Albanese shelved the earlier version ahead of the election amid lobbying from miners and the Western Australian government. In the speech, Henry will cast EPBC reform as critical to boosting productivity – the economic priority of Labor's second term. 'Reforming our broken environmental laws is an obvious lever to enhance resilience and lift moribund productivity growth. And reforms provide an opportunity to dramatically cut the cost to government,' he will say. 'Of course, I can think of other reforms to boost productivity. Some even harder, though none more important. And if we can't achieve environmental law reform, then we should stop dreaming about more challenging options.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Henry is best known as the author of the 2010 tax review for the Rudd government, which inspired the short-lived mining super profits tax. He has also advocated for a carbon price as the least economically damaging method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The idea of a carbon price has again been put on the agenda as the Productivity Commission examines options to lower the cost of hitting climate targets. In submissions to the inquiry, the Australian Council of Trade Unions said the commission should examine 'carbon pricing policies' for different parts of the economy, and the Australian Energy Council called for a carbon price to be modelled to help inform emission reduction policies. With most large-scale infrastructure developments requiring approval under the EPBC Act, from renewable energy projects to housing estates, Henry will argue the government will fail to reach its targets of net zero by 2050 and building 1.2m homes by 2030 without 'high-quality' national nature laws. 'These projects, be they windfarms, solar farms, transmission lines, new housing developments, land-based carbon sequestration projects, new and enhanced transport corridors or critical minerals extraction and processing plants, must be delivered quickly and efficiently,' Henry will say. 'And they must be delivered in a way that not only protects, but restores, nature.' The prospects for Labor's housing target are already under renewed scrutiny after Treasury officials conceded it 'will not be met' in advice to Jim Chalmers accidentally released to the ABC and published this week. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The government has recommitted to establishing a federal environmental protection agency but Watt has yet decide the scope of its powers. The fate of the main recommendation from Graeme Samuel's review of the EPBC Act – national environmental standards – is also unclear as the minister continues consultation with industry and green groups. However, Watt has signalled a desire to pursue the reforms in one package, rather than in multiple tranches as attempted by his predecessor, Tanya Plibersek. In the speech, Henry will back a streamlined approach before outlining what he considers the key elements for new nature laws. These include specific changes to preserve matters of national environmental significance, a suite of national standards, an independent EPA and 'genuine cooperation' between the commonwealth, state and territories. Henry will also call for a rethink of how the principle of ecologically sustainable development (ESD) is applied under federal nature laws. 'It cannot be applied project by project, in the manner anticipated by the act. Project by project application of ESD is simply nuts,' he will argue. 'It is time we stopped pretending we have the cognitive discipline to choose a sustainable balance among economic, social and environmental goals, project by project.'
