Mark Latham denies abuse claims made by former partner Nathalie Matthews
The allegations, first reported by The Australian on Monday night, were made by Latham's former long-term partner and Liberal Party member Nathalie Matthews. Both The Australian and The Sydney Morning Herald reported the complaints had been detailed in documents filed with the NSW Local Court.
Both mastheads reported Matthews as claiming Latham had engaged in a 'sustained pattern' of abuse, alleging he had pressured her into having sex with other people and driven his car at her.
Latham took to X on Monday night to deny the allegations, which he called 'false and ridiculous'.
'The Australian newspaper has published a story based on allegations from Nathalie Matthews which are comically false and ridiculous,' he wrote.
'I have scores of documents to show that and will rely upon them to defend myself. As the old saying goes, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
'The story says that Matthews went to the police and they did not do anything. They certainly haven't contacted me.
'In the current environment, that says a lot. She told me in April she had been to police seeking an AVO against another man and complained that they did nothing.'
Latham become leader of the Australian Labor Party in 2003, losing the following year's federal election to John Howard. He resigned from Labor in 2005 and after a number of controversial incidents he joined Pauline Hanson's One Nation party as its NSW state leader in 2018.
Less than a year ago he was forced to pay NSW MP Alex Greenwich $140,000 over a series of homophobic tweets.
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The Advertiser
13 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Suspended jail term for abusive former Miss Australia
A former Miss Australia and ex-politician who physically and verbally abused her husband over eight years has been given a seven-month suspended jail term. Kathryn Isobel Hay,`49, also controlled and intimidated then-partner Troy Richardson, and verbally and physically abused the couple's two children. In 1999, Hay was crowned Miss Tasmania and Miss Australia, the first Aboriginal woman to win the award, and served in the island state's parliament as a Labor MP from 2002-06. She was found guilty in March of a single charge of emotional abuse or intimidation spanning 2014 to 2022. It was alleged Hay punched Mr Richardson in the face, threw cereal at him and frequently abused him online and in person. Mr Richardson gave evidence that Hay hit him in the face with a shoe several times while he was driving because he "just didn't do something right". He said there were threats of violence at least weekly and Hay would give him lists of things that needed to be done. "If it wasn't done properly I'd get abuse. If it was done, she'd give me another list." In a statement read to court on his behalf on Friday, Mr Richardson said he now suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and severe anxiety, and their children struggle with distress. Mr Richardson said he feared no one would believe him about the abuse, which left him "completely isolated". Magistrate Simon Brown found the majority of the particulars against Hay, who now lives in Sydney, had been proven. A psychologist's report found Hay had shown a complete lack of insight into her offending, prosecutor Garth Stevens told Launceston Magistrates Court. However, Hay's lawyer Marcia Edwards disputed that interpretation, saying her client accepted the court's findings and it was more "a disbelief than a denial". Hay was grappling with thoughts of "did I do this?', Ms Edwards said. "There was a fight between a husband and a wife, it was the end of a toxic marriage … and the court has taken a view of this," she said. Hay, who was at times in tears during proceedings, was given a seven-year jail term, suspended for two-and-a-half years on the condition she doesn't commit an imprisonable crime. Mr Brown said Hay's conduct was a serious example of family violence and Mr Richardson's time in the marriage would have been extraordinarily difficult. Hay, who the court was told suffers from mental health issues, did not have "genuine insight into the extent of her wrongdoing", Mr Brown said. However, he noted Hay's childhood was blighted by family violence and she was suffering genuine distress after her offending. She had lost contact with her children, was no longer able to get meaningful work and had been the subject of enormous media attention. "Her reputation is obviously in tatters," Mr Brown said. Hay is living at a women's shelter and was working on herself through free courses because she had no money, Ms Edwards said. "If she were to enter another relationship, these courses are fairly and squarely teaching you how to behave in an adult world," she said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A former Miss Australia and ex-politician who physically and verbally abused her husband over eight years has been given a seven-month suspended jail term. Kathryn Isobel Hay,`49, also controlled and intimidated then-partner Troy Richardson, and verbally and physically abused the couple's two children. In 1999, Hay was crowned Miss Tasmania and Miss Australia, the first Aboriginal woman to win the award, and served in the island state's parliament as a Labor MP from 2002-06. She was found guilty in March of a single charge of emotional abuse or intimidation spanning 2014 to 2022. It was alleged Hay punched Mr Richardson in the face, threw cereal at him and frequently abused him online and in person. Mr Richardson gave evidence that Hay hit him in the face with a shoe several times while he was driving because he "just didn't do something right". He said there were threats of violence at least weekly and Hay would give him lists of things that needed to be done. "If it wasn't done properly I'd get abuse. If it was done, she'd give me another list." In a statement read to court on his behalf on Friday, Mr Richardson said he now suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and severe anxiety, and their children struggle with distress. Mr Richardson said he feared no one would believe him about the abuse, which left him "completely isolated". Magistrate Simon Brown found the majority of the particulars against Hay, who now lives in Sydney, had been proven. A psychologist's report found Hay had shown a complete lack of insight into her offending, prosecutor Garth Stevens told Launceston Magistrates Court. However, Hay's lawyer Marcia Edwards disputed that interpretation, saying her client accepted the court's findings and it was more "a disbelief than a denial". Hay was grappling with thoughts of "did I do this?', Ms Edwards said. "There was a fight between a husband and a wife, it was the end of a toxic marriage … and the court has taken a view of this," she said. Hay, who was at times in tears during proceedings, was given a seven-year jail term, suspended for two-and-a-half years on the condition she doesn't commit an imprisonable crime. Mr Brown said Hay's conduct was a serious example of family violence and Mr Richardson's time in the marriage would have been extraordinarily difficult. Hay, who the court was told suffers from mental health issues, did not have "genuine insight into the extent of her wrongdoing", Mr Brown said. However, he noted Hay's childhood was blighted by family violence and she was suffering genuine distress after her offending. She had lost contact with her children, was no longer able to get meaningful work and had been the subject of enormous media attention. "Her reputation is obviously in tatters," Mr Brown said. Hay is living at a women's shelter and was working on herself through free courses because she had no money, Ms Edwards said. "If she were to enter another relationship, these courses are fairly and squarely teaching you how to behave in an adult world," she said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A former Miss Australia and ex-politician who physically and verbally abused her husband over eight years has been given a seven-month suspended jail term. Kathryn Isobel Hay,`49, also controlled and intimidated then-partner Troy Richardson, and verbally and physically abused the couple's two children. In 1999, Hay was crowned Miss Tasmania and Miss Australia, the first Aboriginal woman to win the award, and served in the island state's parliament as a Labor MP from 2002-06. She was found guilty in March of a single charge of emotional abuse or intimidation spanning 2014 to 2022. It was alleged Hay punched Mr Richardson in the face, threw cereal at him and frequently abused him online and in person. Mr Richardson gave evidence that Hay hit him in the face with a shoe several times while he was driving because he "just didn't do something right". He said there were threats of violence at least weekly and Hay would give him lists of things that needed to be done. "If it wasn't done properly I'd get abuse. If it was done, she'd give me another list." In a statement read to court on his behalf on Friday, Mr Richardson said he now suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and severe anxiety, and their children struggle with distress. Mr Richardson said he feared no one would believe him about the abuse, which left him "completely isolated". Magistrate Simon Brown found the majority of the particulars against Hay, who now lives in Sydney, had been proven. A psychologist's report found Hay had shown a complete lack of insight into her offending, prosecutor Garth Stevens told Launceston Magistrates Court. However, Hay's lawyer Marcia Edwards disputed that interpretation, saying her client accepted the court's findings and it was more "a disbelief than a denial". Hay was grappling with thoughts of "did I do this?', Ms Edwards said. "There was a fight between a husband and a wife, it was the end of a toxic marriage … and the court has taken a view of this," she said. Hay, who was at times in tears during proceedings, was given a seven-year jail term, suspended for two-and-a-half years on the condition she doesn't commit an imprisonable crime. Mr Brown said Hay's conduct was a serious example of family violence and Mr Richardson's time in the marriage would have been extraordinarily difficult. Hay, who the court was told suffers from mental health issues, did not have "genuine insight into the extent of her wrongdoing", Mr Brown said. However, he noted Hay's childhood was blighted by family violence and she was suffering genuine distress after her offending. She had lost contact with her children, was no longer able to get meaningful work and had been the subject of enormous media attention. "Her reputation is obviously in tatters," Mr Brown said. Hay is living at a women's shelter and was working on herself through free courses because she had no money, Ms Edwards said. "If she were to enter another relationship, these courses are fairly and squarely teaching you how to behave in an adult world," she said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A former Miss Australia and ex-politician who physically and verbally abused her husband over eight years has been given a seven-month suspended jail term. Kathryn Isobel Hay,`49, also controlled and intimidated then-partner Troy Richardson, and verbally and physically abused the couple's two children. In 1999, Hay was crowned Miss Tasmania and Miss Australia, the first Aboriginal woman to win the award, and served in the island state's parliament as a Labor MP from 2002-06. She was found guilty in March of a single charge of emotional abuse or intimidation spanning 2014 to 2022. It was alleged Hay punched Mr Richardson in the face, threw cereal at him and frequently abused him online and in person. Mr Richardson gave evidence that Hay hit him in the face with a shoe several times while he was driving because he "just didn't do something right". He said there were threats of violence at least weekly and Hay would give him lists of things that needed to be done. "If it wasn't done properly I'd get abuse. If it was done, she'd give me another list." In a statement read to court on his behalf on Friday, Mr Richardson said he now suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and severe anxiety, and their children struggle with distress. Mr Richardson said he feared no one would believe him about the abuse, which left him "completely isolated". Magistrate Simon Brown found the majority of the particulars against Hay, who now lives in Sydney, had been proven. A psychologist's report found Hay had shown a complete lack of insight into her offending, prosecutor Garth Stevens told Launceston Magistrates Court. However, Hay's lawyer Marcia Edwards disputed that interpretation, saying her client accepted the court's findings and it was more "a disbelief than a denial". Hay was grappling with thoughts of "did I do this?', Ms Edwards said. "There was a fight between a husband and a wife, it was the end of a toxic marriage … and the court has taken a view of this," she said. Hay, who was at times in tears during proceedings, was given a seven-year jail term, suspended for two-and-a-half years on the condition she doesn't commit an imprisonable crime. Mr Brown said Hay's conduct was a serious example of family violence and Mr Richardson's time in the marriage would have been extraordinarily difficult. Hay, who the court was told suffers from mental health issues, did not have "genuine insight into the extent of her wrongdoing", Mr Brown said. However, he noted Hay's childhood was blighted by family violence and she was suffering genuine distress after her offending. She had lost contact with her children, was no longer able to get meaningful work and had been the subject of enormous media attention. "Her reputation is obviously in tatters," Mr Brown said. Hay is living at a women's shelter and was working on herself through free courses because she had no money, Ms Edwards said. "If she were to enter another relationship, these courses are fairly and squarely teaching you how to behave in an adult world," she said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
AU Financial Review
43 minutes ago
- AU Financial Review
Labor admits to being ‘a bit slow' on SA algal bloom
Senior federal cabinet minister Mark Butler has admitted Labor was too slow to act on the algal bloom disaster that is causing major environmental destruction off the coast of Adelaide. Butler, who represents the South Australian electorate of Hindmarsh, said the government had accepted the climate-induced natural disaster was a national issue, and it would need to do more to help manage a crisis that has been unfolding since February.
The Advertiser
43 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
'They don't feel safe; it's scary': Hunter's Tibetan community living in fear
The Hunter's Tibetan community is living in fear after hearing that Chinese Consul General Wang Yu was inquiring about their whereabouts during a recent visit to Newcastle. Mr Yu and his delegation asked about the local members of the persecuted community during a meeting with lord mayor Ross Kerridge and at lunch with union representatives last Thursday. China does not recognise Tibet's sovereignty and considers its community members to be political separatists. Many members of the Hunter's 170-strong Tibetan community endured persecution, imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Chinese government before arriving in Australia as part of humanitarian programs. Most still have family members in Tibet. Lobsang Lungtok, who lives in Newcastle, was tortured for 18 months in a detention camp after writing a poem criticising China's one-child policy in 1995. He said the news that Mr Yu had been asking questions about the local community was extremely concerning. "I have spoken to a lot of Tibetans who are saying, 'What's going on? Why are the Chinese here? They don't feel safe; it's scary," Mr Lungtok, the former president of the Newcastle Tibetan Community, said. "A lot of them are worried about their families back home." He said he suspected the growth of the Hunter's Tibetan community in recent years was of concern to Chinese officials. "We have been growing very fast. They (the Chinese government) probably think we are going to start a guerilla movement or something," he said. "We are peaceful people who wish to live quiet lives in Australia." Mr Lungtok, 50, arrived in Australia in 2001 after fleeing to India following his release from prison. He is married with a young family. He said his community was grateful for the support of the wider community, which included having Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon and lord mayor Ross Kerridge present at their celebration of the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday. However, he said the Australian government needed to be stronger in its defence of Tibet and its people. "We just saw the prime minister with the Chinese president walking on the Great Wall. He said 'this is a nice place, everyone is welcome'. Not everyone is welcome," he said. Mr Lungtok's most recent run-in with Chinese authorities was only last month when he was deported from China after attempting to visit his family. "They deported me back to Sydney Airport. If they wanted to kidnap someone it would be so easy to do it there," he said. Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton said his Newcastle counterpart Ross Kerridge had no business speaking on behalf of other councils during his now-infamous meeting with the Chinese consul general. The meeting minutes show that as part of a discussion about the Hunter Region, Cr Kerridge said that one of the Hunter Joint Organisation's priorities was to transition away from coal mining. "LM (Lord Mayor) provided an overview of the JO strategy for transition out of coal in the Hunter Valley," the minutes say. Cr Drayton, said he was shocked Cr Kerridge had not consulted him before he spoke about the transition away from coal mining. "Forget how nave it is - a meet and greet with the Chinese discussing things like our region's role in defence, the local Tibetan community. When I saw in the minutes that the discussion turned to the Hunter, I couldn't believe it," Cr Drayton said. "On what planet does a Newcastle Lord Mayor offer views to China about the Hunter Joint Organisation - without a word to the other nine councils? Let alone Muswellbrook. "On what planet would he tell China the Hunter councils share a priority to, quote, 'transition out of coal mining'?" Cr Drayton said it was factually wrong to say that Muswellbrook or any other mining community had voluntarily chosen to move away from coal. "Mine closures are a commercially-driven challenge that our communities are counting on us to respond to - and believe me, we are. We have 12,000 jobs riding on it, across the Hunter, from pit to port. "To trot this out across the table from our main trading partner - even if he believes it, I'm not sure why he's felt the need to weigh in." The Hunter's Tibetan community is living in fear after hearing that Chinese Consul General Wang Yu was inquiring about their whereabouts during a recent visit to Newcastle. Mr Yu and his delegation asked about the local members of the persecuted community during a meeting with lord mayor Ross Kerridge and at lunch with union representatives last Thursday. China does not recognise Tibet's sovereignty and considers its community members to be political separatists. Many members of the Hunter's 170-strong Tibetan community endured persecution, imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Chinese government before arriving in Australia as part of humanitarian programs. Most still have family members in Tibet. Lobsang Lungtok, who lives in Newcastle, was tortured for 18 months in a detention camp after writing a poem criticising China's one-child policy in 1995. He said the news that Mr Yu had been asking questions about the local community was extremely concerning. "I have spoken to a lot of Tibetans who are saying, 'What's going on? Why are the Chinese here? They don't feel safe; it's scary," Mr Lungtok, the former president of the Newcastle Tibetan Community, said. "A lot of them are worried about their families back home." He said he suspected the growth of the Hunter's Tibetan community in recent years was of concern to Chinese officials. "We have been growing very fast. They (the Chinese government) probably think we are going to start a guerilla movement or something," he said. "We are peaceful people who wish to live quiet lives in Australia." Mr Lungtok, 50, arrived in Australia in 2001 after fleeing to India following his release from prison. He is married with a young family. He said his community was grateful for the support of the wider community, which included having Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon and lord mayor Ross Kerridge present at their celebration of the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday. However, he said the Australian government needed to be stronger in its defence of Tibet and its people. "We just saw the prime minister with the Chinese president walking on the Great Wall. He said 'this is a nice place, everyone is welcome'. Not everyone is welcome," he said. Mr Lungtok's most recent run-in with Chinese authorities was only last month when he was deported from China after attempting to visit his family. "They deported me back to Sydney Airport. If they wanted to kidnap someone it would be so easy to do it there," he said. Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton said his Newcastle counterpart Ross Kerridge had no business speaking on behalf of other councils during his now-infamous meeting with the Chinese consul general. The meeting minutes show that as part of a discussion about the Hunter Region, Cr Kerridge said that one of the Hunter Joint Organisation's priorities was to transition away from coal mining. "LM (Lord Mayor) provided an overview of the JO strategy for transition out of coal in the Hunter Valley," the minutes say. Cr Drayton, said he was shocked Cr Kerridge had not consulted him before he spoke about the transition away from coal mining. "Forget how nave it is - a meet and greet with the Chinese discussing things like our region's role in defence, the local Tibetan community. When I saw in the minutes that the discussion turned to the Hunter, I couldn't believe it," Cr Drayton said. "On what planet does a Newcastle Lord Mayor offer views to China about the Hunter Joint Organisation - without a word to the other nine councils? Let alone Muswellbrook. "On what planet would he tell China the Hunter councils share a priority to, quote, 'transition out of coal mining'?" Cr Drayton said it was factually wrong to say that Muswellbrook or any other mining community had voluntarily chosen to move away from coal. "Mine closures are a commercially-driven challenge that our communities are counting on us to respond to - and believe me, we are. We have 12,000 jobs riding on it, across the Hunter, from pit to port. "To trot this out across the table from our main trading partner - even if he believes it, I'm not sure why he's felt the need to weigh in." The Hunter's Tibetan community is living in fear after hearing that Chinese Consul General Wang Yu was inquiring about their whereabouts during a recent visit to Newcastle. Mr Yu and his delegation asked about the local members of the persecuted community during a meeting with lord mayor Ross Kerridge and at lunch with union representatives last Thursday. China does not recognise Tibet's sovereignty and considers its community members to be political separatists. Many members of the Hunter's 170-strong Tibetan community endured persecution, imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Chinese government before arriving in Australia as part of humanitarian programs. Most still have family members in Tibet. Lobsang Lungtok, who lives in Newcastle, was tortured for 18 months in a detention camp after writing a poem criticising China's one-child policy in 1995. He said the news that Mr Yu had been asking questions about the local community was extremely concerning. "I have spoken to a lot of Tibetans who are saying, 'What's going on? Why are the Chinese here? They don't feel safe; it's scary," Mr Lungtok, the former president of the Newcastle Tibetan Community, said. "A lot of them are worried about their families back home." He said he suspected the growth of the Hunter's Tibetan community in recent years was of concern to Chinese officials. "We have been growing very fast. They (the Chinese government) probably think we are going to start a guerilla movement or something," he said. "We are peaceful people who wish to live quiet lives in Australia." Mr Lungtok, 50, arrived in Australia in 2001 after fleeing to India following his release from prison. He is married with a young family. He said his community was grateful for the support of the wider community, which included having Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon and lord mayor Ross Kerridge present at their celebration of the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday. However, he said the Australian government needed to be stronger in its defence of Tibet and its people. "We just saw the prime minister with the Chinese president walking on the Great Wall. He said 'this is a nice place, everyone is welcome'. Not everyone is welcome," he said. Mr Lungtok's most recent run-in with Chinese authorities was only last month when he was deported from China after attempting to visit his family. "They deported me back to Sydney Airport. If they wanted to kidnap someone it would be so easy to do it there," he said. Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton said his Newcastle counterpart Ross Kerridge had no business speaking on behalf of other councils during his now-infamous meeting with the Chinese consul general. The meeting minutes show that as part of a discussion about the Hunter Region, Cr Kerridge said that one of the Hunter Joint Organisation's priorities was to transition away from coal mining. "LM (Lord Mayor) provided an overview of the JO strategy for transition out of coal in the Hunter Valley," the minutes say. Cr Drayton, said he was shocked Cr Kerridge had not consulted him before he spoke about the transition away from coal mining. "Forget how nave it is - a meet and greet with the Chinese discussing things like our region's role in defence, the local Tibetan community. When I saw in the minutes that the discussion turned to the Hunter, I couldn't believe it," Cr Drayton said. "On what planet does a Newcastle Lord Mayor offer views to China about the Hunter Joint Organisation - without a word to the other nine councils? Let alone Muswellbrook. "On what planet would he tell China the Hunter councils share a priority to, quote, 'transition out of coal mining'?" Cr Drayton said it was factually wrong to say that Muswellbrook or any other mining community had voluntarily chosen to move away from coal. "Mine closures are a commercially-driven challenge that our communities are counting on us to respond to - and believe me, we are. We have 12,000 jobs riding on it, across the Hunter, from pit to port. "To trot this out across the table from our main trading partner - even if he believes it, I'm not sure why he's felt the need to weigh in." The Hunter's Tibetan community is living in fear after hearing that Chinese Consul General Wang Yu was inquiring about their whereabouts during a recent visit to Newcastle. Mr Yu and his delegation asked about the local members of the persecuted community during a meeting with lord mayor Ross Kerridge and at lunch with union representatives last Thursday. China does not recognise Tibet's sovereignty and considers its community members to be political separatists. Many members of the Hunter's 170-strong Tibetan community endured persecution, imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Chinese government before arriving in Australia as part of humanitarian programs. Most still have family members in Tibet. Lobsang Lungtok, who lives in Newcastle, was tortured for 18 months in a detention camp after writing a poem criticising China's one-child policy in 1995. He said the news that Mr Yu had been asking questions about the local community was extremely concerning. "I have spoken to a lot of Tibetans who are saying, 'What's going on? Why are the Chinese here? They don't feel safe; it's scary," Mr Lungtok, the former president of the Newcastle Tibetan Community, said. "A lot of them are worried about their families back home." He said he suspected the growth of the Hunter's Tibetan community in recent years was of concern to Chinese officials. "We have been growing very fast. They (the Chinese government) probably think we are going to start a guerilla movement or something," he said. "We are peaceful people who wish to live quiet lives in Australia." Mr Lungtok, 50, arrived in Australia in 2001 after fleeing to India following his release from prison. He is married with a young family. He said his community was grateful for the support of the wider community, which included having Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon and lord mayor Ross Kerridge present at their celebration of the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday. However, he said the Australian government needed to be stronger in its defence of Tibet and its people. "We just saw the prime minister with the Chinese president walking on the Great Wall. He said 'this is a nice place, everyone is welcome'. Not everyone is welcome," he said. Mr Lungtok's most recent run-in with Chinese authorities was only last month when he was deported from China after attempting to visit his family. "They deported me back to Sydney Airport. If they wanted to kidnap someone it would be so easy to do it there," he said. Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton said his Newcastle counterpart Ross Kerridge had no business speaking on behalf of other councils during his now-infamous meeting with the Chinese consul general. The meeting minutes show that as part of a discussion about the Hunter Region, Cr Kerridge said that one of the Hunter Joint Organisation's priorities was to transition away from coal mining. "LM (Lord Mayor) provided an overview of the JO strategy for transition out of coal in the Hunter Valley," the minutes say. Cr Drayton, said he was shocked Cr Kerridge had not consulted him before he spoke about the transition away from coal mining. "Forget how nave it is - a meet and greet with the Chinese discussing things like our region's role in defence, the local Tibetan community. When I saw in the minutes that the discussion turned to the Hunter, I couldn't believe it," Cr Drayton said. "On what planet does a Newcastle Lord Mayor offer views to China about the Hunter Joint Organisation - without a word to the other nine councils? Let alone Muswellbrook. "On what planet would he tell China the Hunter councils share a priority to, quote, 'transition out of coal mining'?" Cr Drayton said it was factually wrong to say that Muswellbrook or any other mining community had voluntarily chosen to move away from coal. "Mine closures are a commercially-driven challenge that our communities are counting on us to respond to - and believe me, we are. We have 12,000 jobs riding on it, across the Hunter, from pit to port. "To trot this out across the table from our main trading partner - even if he believes it, I'm not sure why he's felt the need to weigh in."
