After failed Rosehill deal, a battle for control of the Australian Turf Club
That night, Upper House MP Mark Latham, one of the fiercest opponents of the sale, ended his relationship with then partner Nathalie Matthews. Matthews has since accused Latham of a sustained pattern of emotional, physical and financial abuse and pressuring her into degrading sexual acts in an application for a private apprehended violence order. Latham denies the allegations.
Right before Latham became the unwelcome centre of attention, ATC chair Peter McGauran, a former Nationals minister in the Howard government and one of the architects of the Rosehill sale, resigned. On Monday afternoon, the board will vote for McGauran's successor, a formality which has devolved into a messy proxy battle between supporters and opponents of the scuppered deal.
On one side is McGuaran's protegee Ben Bayot, another champion of the deal, who has the presumed backing of Racing NSW and its mercurial chief executive Peter V'landys.
But the failed sale, which enjoyed the joint support of V'landys and Premier Chris Minns, showed that not even the double-team of Sydney's most powerful person and the state premier can always get their way, particularly when faced with a wall of Boomer recalcitrance.
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Standing against Bayot is Sydney silk Tim Hale SC, who ascended to the board four years ago with the backing of trainer extraordinaire Gai Waterhouse and former International Olympic Committee vice-president John Coates.
ATC sources say the vote will go down to the wire, with each camp having three definite votes each. So far, ATC board member Caroline Searcy is the swing vote, and both camps have offered her the vice-chair position in return for support.
But one of Bayot's three votes is that of McGauran himself. Hale's supporters have legal advice, prepared by barrister Steven Finch SC, showing that McGauran has already resigned his board position and is ineligible to vote. Team McGauran has its own advice to the contrary.
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Sydney Morning Herald
13 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Mark Latham escapes condemnation over behaviour in parliament - at least for now
Rogue MP Mark Latham has escaped attempts by the NSW government to condemn his behaviour in parliament after he was accused of abusing parliamentary privilege to reveal secret information. Labor's leader in the upper house, Penny Sharpe, moved to condemn Latham, arguing he revealed contents of a Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) report which was under a non-publication order, and shared medical information relating to MP Alex Greenwich, which the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal intended to be kept confidential. 'The Honourable Mark Latham, MLC, has done and said things that challenge the work we all do to better the culture of this place, and he has abused the privileges and immunities that we hold,' Sharpe said. The LECC report on Operation Askern detailed an investigation into the Commissioner's gin scandal after then-police commissioner Karen Webb used public funds to purchase alcohol from a distillery owned by one of her friends to be used as gifts. The contents of the report were made available to MPs with an order preventing their release to the public. The government failed to get the support needed to pass the motion condemning Latham, with the Coalition and the Greens voting to delay the debate until October. The house agreed to refer Latham to the powerful privileges committee first. The committee will also look into the conduct of Latham and other members towards MPs and staff and the progress parliament is making towards a safer workplace culture after it was revealed through leaked messages that Latham had taken secret photographs of female MPs in the chamber. Liberal Susan Carter, the subject of one of the photographs, said she would not support a motion condemning Latham until the committee had reported back. Latham used the fiery debate to rehash grievances against his political nemesis, Greenwich, as well as Webb, Labor MPs and the media.
The Advertiser
16 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'One-trick pony' MP bucks off parliament censure motion
A high-profile politician known for his brash and outspoken antics has been branded a one-trick pony after fending off a Labor-led censure bid. The failed motion against Mark Latham came after the one-time prime ministerial hopeful used parliamentary privilege in the NSW upper house to reveal details about a police commissioner and an independent MP. He has been embroiled in several scandals, including taking photos of women MPs without their knowledge, for which he has already apologised. But an attempt to have Australia's oldest parliamentary chamber officially censure him has failed, after the coalition opposition, the Greens and minor party MPs voted to adjourn the motion until October. The powerful privileges committee is investigating several complaints about Mr Latham, with some reports due back in October. The NSW government's upper house leader described the 16-to-22 vote loss as disappointing. "Mark Latham is a serial offender," Penny Sharpe told reporters on Wednesday. "There's no one he won't go after (and) there's no one he won't double down on. "We should be a model workplace, not a degenerate workplace." She also noted he called her an "ignorant pig" and her colleagues "disgusting frauds" during the chamber debate on Tuesday. Premier Chris Minns said MPs needed to "draw a line in the sand" and criticised Mr Latham for his sustained personal attacks on his political foes under parliamentary privilege. "That's his modus operandi. He goes after anyone who holds him to account ... he's a one-trick pony," he said. Mr Latham also used Tuesday night's debate to level unsubstantiated sexual harassment allegations against the premier, who declined to respond. "I'm not going to detail them one by one as if to give it credence or importance or it has been backed with some shred of evidence or information," Mr Minns said. Labor's motion was first flagged in June after Mr Latham aired information that now-former NSW police commissioner Karen Webb purchased dozens of bottles of gin using taxpayer money to hand out as gifts, and discussed the medical records of independent MP Alex Greenwich. That followed a court ordering Mr Latham to pay $140,000 in damages to Mr Greenwich in September 2024 over a sexually explicit and homophobic social media post that resulted in a defamation case. He had been referred to the privileges committee for an investigation, with a report on matters involving Ms Webb and NSW Police due in October. Mr Latham defended bringing up information about Ms Webb, arguing the public had a right to know because of an "undeclared conflict of interest" and relationship to the gin distillery owners. But he also hinted, without evidence, that the Minns government had covered up a sexual assault that took place in the NSW Parliament. He called several ministers "cowards and curs and quislings". In July, Mr Latham denied sexual abuse allegations levelled against him by a former partner. The woman made a private application for an apprehended domestic violence order at a local court in Sydney. Mr Latham resigned from federal parliament in 2005 and was ejected from the Labor Party before being elected to the NSW upper house in 2019 as a One Nation member. He quit that party in 2023, becoming an independent, with his term expiring in 2031. A high-profile politician known for his brash and outspoken antics has been branded a one-trick pony after fending off a Labor-led censure bid. The failed motion against Mark Latham came after the one-time prime ministerial hopeful used parliamentary privilege in the NSW upper house to reveal details about a police commissioner and an independent MP. He has been embroiled in several scandals, including taking photos of women MPs without their knowledge, for which he has already apologised. But an attempt to have Australia's oldest parliamentary chamber officially censure him has failed, after the coalition opposition, the Greens and minor party MPs voted to adjourn the motion until October. The powerful privileges committee is investigating several complaints about Mr Latham, with some reports due back in October. The NSW government's upper house leader described the 16-to-22 vote loss as disappointing. "Mark Latham is a serial offender," Penny Sharpe told reporters on Wednesday. "There's no one he won't go after (and) there's no one he won't double down on. "We should be a model workplace, not a degenerate workplace." She also noted he called her an "ignorant pig" and her colleagues "disgusting frauds" during the chamber debate on Tuesday. Premier Chris Minns said MPs needed to "draw a line in the sand" and criticised Mr Latham for his sustained personal attacks on his political foes under parliamentary privilege. "That's his modus operandi. He goes after anyone who holds him to account ... he's a one-trick pony," he said. Mr Latham also used Tuesday night's debate to level unsubstantiated sexual harassment allegations against the premier, who declined to respond. "I'm not going to detail them one by one as if to give it credence or importance or it has been backed with some shred of evidence or information," Mr Minns said. Labor's motion was first flagged in June after Mr Latham aired information that now-former NSW police commissioner Karen Webb purchased dozens of bottles of gin using taxpayer money to hand out as gifts, and discussed the medical records of independent MP Alex Greenwich. That followed a court ordering Mr Latham to pay $140,000 in damages to Mr Greenwich in September 2024 over a sexually explicit and homophobic social media post that resulted in a defamation case. He had been referred to the privileges committee for an investigation, with a report on matters involving Ms Webb and NSW Police due in October. Mr Latham defended bringing up information about Ms Webb, arguing the public had a right to know because of an "undeclared conflict of interest" and relationship to the gin distillery owners. But he also hinted, without evidence, that the Minns government had covered up a sexual assault that took place in the NSW Parliament. He called several ministers "cowards and curs and quislings". In July, Mr Latham denied sexual abuse allegations levelled against him by a former partner. The woman made a private application for an apprehended domestic violence order at a local court in Sydney. Mr Latham resigned from federal parliament in 2005 and was ejected from the Labor Party before being elected to the NSW upper house in 2019 as a One Nation member. He quit that party in 2023, becoming an independent, with his term expiring in 2031. A high-profile politician known for his brash and outspoken antics has been branded a one-trick pony after fending off a Labor-led censure bid. The failed motion against Mark Latham came after the one-time prime ministerial hopeful used parliamentary privilege in the NSW upper house to reveal details about a police commissioner and an independent MP. He has been embroiled in several scandals, including taking photos of women MPs without their knowledge, for which he has already apologised. But an attempt to have Australia's oldest parliamentary chamber officially censure him has failed, after the coalition opposition, the Greens and minor party MPs voted to adjourn the motion until October. The powerful privileges committee is investigating several complaints about Mr Latham, with some reports due back in October. The NSW government's upper house leader described the 16-to-22 vote loss as disappointing. "Mark Latham is a serial offender," Penny Sharpe told reporters on Wednesday. "There's no one he won't go after (and) there's no one he won't double down on. "We should be a model workplace, not a degenerate workplace." She also noted he called her an "ignorant pig" and her colleagues "disgusting frauds" during the chamber debate on Tuesday. Premier Chris Minns said MPs needed to "draw a line in the sand" and criticised Mr Latham for his sustained personal attacks on his political foes under parliamentary privilege. "That's his modus operandi. He goes after anyone who holds him to account ... he's a one-trick pony," he said. Mr Latham also used Tuesday night's debate to level unsubstantiated sexual harassment allegations against the premier, who declined to respond. "I'm not going to detail them one by one as if to give it credence or importance or it has been backed with some shred of evidence or information," Mr Minns said. Labor's motion was first flagged in June after Mr Latham aired information that now-former NSW police commissioner Karen Webb purchased dozens of bottles of gin using taxpayer money to hand out as gifts, and discussed the medical records of independent MP Alex Greenwich. That followed a court ordering Mr Latham to pay $140,000 in damages to Mr Greenwich in September 2024 over a sexually explicit and homophobic social media post that resulted in a defamation case. He had been referred to the privileges committee for an investigation, with a report on matters involving Ms Webb and NSW Police due in October. Mr Latham defended bringing up information about Ms Webb, arguing the public had a right to know because of an "undeclared conflict of interest" and relationship to the gin distillery owners. But he also hinted, without evidence, that the Minns government had covered up a sexual assault that took place in the NSW Parliament. He called several ministers "cowards and curs and quislings". In July, Mr Latham denied sexual abuse allegations levelled against him by a former partner. The woman made a private application for an apprehended domestic violence order at a local court in Sydney. Mr Latham resigned from federal parliament in 2005 and was ejected from the Labor Party before being elected to the NSW upper house in 2019 as a One Nation member. He quit that party in 2023, becoming an independent, with his term expiring in 2031. A high-profile politician known for his brash and outspoken antics has been branded a one-trick pony after fending off a Labor-led censure bid. The failed motion against Mark Latham came after the one-time prime ministerial hopeful used parliamentary privilege in the NSW upper house to reveal details about a police commissioner and an independent MP. He has been embroiled in several scandals, including taking photos of women MPs without their knowledge, for which he has already apologised. But an attempt to have Australia's oldest parliamentary chamber officially censure him has failed, after the coalition opposition, the Greens and minor party MPs voted to adjourn the motion until October. The powerful privileges committee is investigating several complaints about Mr Latham, with some reports due back in October. The NSW government's upper house leader described the 16-to-22 vote loss as disappointing. "Mark Latham is a serial offender," Penny Sharpe told reporters on Wednesday. "There's no one he won't go after (and) there's no one he won't double down on. "We should be a model workplace, not a degenerate workplace." She also noted he called her an "ignorant pig" and her colleagues "disgusting frauds" during the chamber debate on Tuesday. Premier Chris Minns said MPs needed to "draw a line in the sand" and criticised Mr Latham for his sustained personal attacks on his political foes under parliamentary privilege. "That's his modus operandi. He goes after anyone who holds him to account ... he's a one-trick pony," he said. Mr Latham also used Tuesday night's debate to level unsubstantiated sexual harassment allegations against the premier, who declined to respond. "I'm not going to detail them one by one as if to give it credence or importance or it has been backed with some shred of evidence or information," Mr Minns said. Labor's motion was first flagged in June after Mr Latham aired information that now-former NSW police commissioner Karen Webb purchased dozens of bottles of gin using taxpayer money to hand out as gifts, and discussed the medical records of independent MP Alex Greenwich. That followed a court ordering Mr Latham to pay $140,000 in damages to Mr Greenwich in September 2024 over a sexually explicit and homophobic social media post that resulted in a defamation case. He had been referred to the privileges committee for an investigation, with a report on matters involving Ms Webb and NSW Police due in October. Mr Latham defended bringing up information about Ms Webb, arguing the public had a right to know because of an "undeclared conflict of interest" and relationship to the gin distillery owners. But he also hinted, without evidence, that the Minns government had covered up a sexual assault that took place in the NSW Parliament. He called several ministers "cowards and curs and quislings". In July, Mr Latham denied sexual abuse allegations levelled against him by a former partner. The woman made a private application for an apprehended domestic violence order at a local court in Sydney. Mr Latham resigned from federal parliament in 2005 and was ejected from the Labor Party before being elected to the NSW upper house in 2019 as a One Nation member. He quit that party in 2023, becoming an independent, with his term expiring in 2031.
Sydney Morning Herald
19 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Mark Latham escapes condemnation over behaviour in parliament, at least for now
Rogue MP Mark Latham has escaped attempts by the NSW government to condemn his behaviour in parliament after he was accused of abusing parliamentary privilege to reveal secret information. Labor's leader in the upper house, Penny Sharpe, moved to condemn Latham, arguing he revealed contents of a Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) report which was under a non-publication order, and shared medical information relating to MP Alex Greenwich, which the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal intended to be kept confidential. 'The Honourable Mark Latham, MLC, has done and said things that challenge the work we all do to better the culture of this place, and he has abused the privileges and immunities that we hold,' Sharpe said. The LECC report on Operation Askern detailed an investigation into the Commissioner's Gin scandal, after then-police commissioner Karen Webb used public funds to purchase alcohol from a distillery owned by one of her friends to be used as gifts. The contents of the report were made available to MPs with an order preventing its contents from being released to the public. The government failed to get the support needed to pass the motion condemning Latham, instead the Coalition and the Greens voted to delay the debate until October. The house agreed to refer Latham to the powerful privileges committee first. The committee will also look into the conduct of Latham and other members towards MPs and staff and the progress parliament is making towards a safer workplace culture, after it was revealed through leaked messages that Latham had taken secret photographs of female MPs while in the chamber. Loading Liberal Susan Carter, the subject of one of the photographs, said she would not support a motion condemning Latham until the committee had reported back. Latham used the fiery debate to rehash grievances he has against his political nemesis Greenwich, as well as Webb, Labor MPs and the media.
