Latest news with #MarkLatham
Perth Now
a day ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
‘Tainted': Latham looms as inquiry resumes
A strange alliance including the Coalition and the unions stand in the way of Labor and its workers compensation reform, but it's one of its most vocal opponents – Mark Latham – who is taking the spotlight. The second hearing into Labor's controversial workers compensation reforms will get underway on Tuesday morning, after the Bill was sent back for a further inquiry by the NSW upper house earlier this year. The state government says the reforms are integral to ensuring the workers compensation scheme is financially viable and will protect workers, while opponents claim it will abandon the most vulnerable. The hearing comes as independent MLC Mark Latham, who is a member of the committee and helped refer it, faces a series of bruising scandals, including allegations he abused his former partner. Mark Latham has become embroiled in controversy. NewsWire/ Jeremy Piper. Credit: News Corp Australia Mr Latham has repeatedly denied the allegations, which are untested and part of an application for a private apprehended violence order (AVO) filed by his ex-partner, Nathalie Matthews, with the local court. Mr Latham has not been charged with any criminal offence. The Liberals have accused the state government of attempting to 'discredit' amendments to Labor's reforms, put forward by Mr Latham and the opposition, 'on the basis that Mr Latham's name is attached to them'. Shadow treasurer Damien Tudehope condemned Mr Latham's behaviour but noted the amendments were put forward before the allegations were made and defended talks with Mr Latham on the amendments. 'Mark Latham is an elected member of parliament,' he said. 'The dynamic of the manner in which the upper house operates is that I've got to deal with all people in the upper house, notwithstanding that they do and say things that I don't agree with and would never endorse. Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has so far rejected the proposed amendments. NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia 'But, at the same time, I need to, in fact, occupy my position as the leader of the Opposition in the upper house and achieve outcomes which I think deliver better results for legislation throughout.' Mr Tudehope said Mr Latham had 'tainted the whole of this process by what has occurred in relation to a whole lot of other issues', in regard to the proposed amendments. Greens MLC Abigail Boyd told the ABC the party had not made 'agreements or amendments with Mr Latham of any kind', and criticised Premier Chris Minns for singling out Mr Latham's role in the amendments. 'It's really telling that the moment that these particular revelations came out, the first thing they (Labor) did was call on the Coalition and the Greens to no longer 'work with Mark Latham on a particular bill',' she said. Ms Boyd told ABC 702 host Hamish McDonald that Mr Latham had been 'very unfairly attacking' her for a long time, and that assertions that she was now working with the former Labor leader was 'very offensive'. NSW shadow treasurer Damien Tudehope said their amendments would save 'marginally less' than Labor's. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has so far rejected the proposed amendments, telling reporters on Friday modelling from iCare of some of the proposed amendments would 'punish workers' and increase premiums. 'My message is clear to the Liberal Party: side with small business, side with victims of sexual harassment. Don't side with Mark Latham,' he said. The modelling reportedly found the preposed amendments put the burden on victims of sexual and racial harassment, as well as bullying, by requiring that they prove the perpetrator intended to harm them. Mr Tudehope said their own modelling showed the amendments would achieve savings 'marginally less' than those the government claims it will deliver. The government said the proposed legislation will address a 'lack of focus on preventing psychological injury' at work, adding: 'Just 50 per cent of workers with psychological claims are back at work within a year. For physical injuries, the rate is 95 per cent.' The hearing will get underway on Tuesday morning.
News.com.au
a day ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Mark Latham looms large as NSW workers compensation reform inquiry resumes
A strange alliance including the Coalition and the unions stand in the way of Labor and its workers compensation reform, but it's one of its most vocal opponents – Mark Latham – who is taking the spotlight. The second hearing into Labor's controversial workers compensation reforms will get underway on Tuesday morning, after the Bill was sent back for a further inquiry by the NSW upper house earlier this year. The state government says the reforms are integral to ensuring the workers compensation scheme is financially viable and will protect workers, while opponents claim it will abandon the most vulnerable. The hearing comes as independent MLC Mark Latham, who is a member of the committee and helped refer it, faces a series of bruising scandals, including allegations he abused his former partner. Mr Latham has repeatedly denied the allegations, which are untested and part of an application for a private apprehended violence order (AVO) filed by his ex-partner, Nathalie Matthews, with the local court. Mr Latham has not been charged with any criminal offence. The Liberals have accused the state government of attempting to 'discredit' amendments to Labor's reforms, put forward by Mr Latham and the opposition, 'on the basis that Mr Latham's name is attached to them'. Shadow treasurer Damien Tudehope condemned Mr Latham's behaviour but noted the amendments were put forward before the allegations were made and defended talks with Mr Latham on the amendments. 'Mark Latham is an elected member of parliament,' he said. 'The dynamic of the manner in which the upper house operates is that I've got to deal with all people in the upper house, notwithstanding that they do and say things that I don't agree with and would never endorse. 'But, at the same time, I need to, in fact, occupy my position as the leader of the Opposition in the upper house and achieve outcomes which I think deliver better results for legislation throughout.' Mr Tudehope said Mr Latham had 'tainted the whole of this process by what has occurred in relation to a whole lot of other issues', in regard to the proposed amendments. Greens MLC Abigail Boyd told the ABC the party had not made 'agreements or amendments with Mr Latham of any kind', and criticised Premier Chris Minns for singling out Mr Latham's role in the amendments. 'It's really telling that the moment that these particular revelations came out, the first thing they (Labor) did was call on the Coalition and the Greens to no longer 'work with Mark Latham on a particular bill',' she said. Ms Boyd told ABC 702 host Hamish McDonald that Mr Latham had been 'very unfairly attacking' her for a long time, and that assertions that she was now working with the former Labor leader was 'very offensive'. Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has so far rejected the proposed amendments, telling reporters on Friday modelling from iCare of some of the proposed amendments would 'punish workers' and increase premiums. 'My message is clear to the Liberal Party: side with small business, side with victims of sexual harassment. Don't side with Mark Latham,' he said. The modelling reportedly found the preposed amendments put the burden on victims of sexual and racial harassment, as well as bullying, by requiring that they prove the perpetrator intended to harm them. Mr Tudehope said their own modelling showed the amendments would achieve savings 'marginally less' than those the government claims it will deliver. The government said the proposed legislation will address a 'lack of focus on preventing psychological injury' at work, adding: 'Just 50 per cent of workers with psychological claims are back at work within a year. For physical injuries, the rate is 95 per cent.' The hearing will get underway on Tuesday morning.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Former Labor leader Mark Latham likely to make at least $1m before term ends despite controversy
Embattled former Labor leader Mark Latham will likely cost taxpayers upwards of $1m before his term ends in 2031. The one-time NSW One Nation leader has come under fire in recent weeks over a string of high-profile scandals and allegations he abused his ex-partner. Mr Latham has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with any criminal offence. The controversies have sparked discussions about the conduct of elected members, with Labor and the Liberals trading barbs over their relationship with Mr Latham. According to parliamentary documents, Mr Latham stands to make a base salary of $172,576 per annum as a member of the Legislative Council, the NSW upper house. Mr Latham stood with One Nation and was elected in March 2023 to the upper house for an eight-year term, though he was dumped by Pauline Hanson later that year. He is not up for re-election until the NSW state election in 2031, meaning he stands to make a base salary of at least another $1.035m. Additionally, Mr Latham is serving on several committees, including the Joint Standing Committee on Road Safety and the Selection of Bills Committee. For 2025-26, Mr Latham stands to make at least an additional $21,572, according to parliamentary salaries and allowances as of July 1, 2024. That's not all. When Mr Latham stepped away from federal politics in 2005, he did so with a base annual pension of about $66,000 per year. That was effectively put on hold when he rejoined NSW parliament in 2019. As a member of the Legislative Council, Mr Latham will also have been paying into the Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Fund. Upon leaving parliament, members are entitled to receive a pension from the fund. The only way a member could lose that entitlement is if they are convicted of a serious offence. The base rate for a member of the upper house in NSW has steadily increased over the past few decades. In 2009, an MLC received a base rate of $126,560. Last month, it was revealed the state government had submitted to the Parliamentary Remunerations Tribunal that pay packets for state MPs and senior bureaucrats be raised by 3.5 per cent, including superannuation benefits. The wage increase is in line with the base pay offer made to the public sector workforce in the latest NSW budget. The tribunal is yet to issue its determination. It comes after a bruising few weeks for Mr Latham. He has denied former partner Nathalie Matthews' accusations of abuse, including degrading sex acts, in a private apprehended violence order application submitted to court. In the weeks since, Mr Latham has separately been accused of filming sex acts in his office, sending sexually explicit messages from the chamber, and covertly photographing female colleagues. In a press conference last weekend, Mr Latham denied Ms Matthews' allegations, stating that the relationship was an 'entirely consensual arrangement between two adults'. Premier Chris Minns previously lashed Mr Latham as 'Australia's biggest bigot' during a spray in parliament prior to the allegations airing. Upper house leader Penny Sharpe said last week she would introduce two motions against Mr Latham when parliament resumed in August. One will refer Mr Latham to the privileges committee, if it is passed, while the other is a more general motion in regard to his behaviour.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
The REAL truth behind those bizarre high-flying, jetsetting business claims of Mark Latham's porn star ex - and the address of one of her businesses will take your breath away
The two freight firms Mark Latham's ex-partner is credited with running appear impossible to contact and the 'principal place of business' for one of them is listed as the politician's home. ASIC has no publicly available records for Skynet Global Logistics, of which Nathalie Matthews says she is managing director, other than the name having been registered in October last year. NMF Services - the initials stand for Nathalie Matthews Freight - was registered in July last year with the 37-year-old recorded as director, secretary and sole shareholder. The principal place of business for NMF Services is the same address as Latham's five-bedroom home at Mount Hunter, about 80km south-west of Sydney in Wollondilly Shire. Ms Matthews had been living at that house before her spectacular May 27 break-up with Latham, which has resulted in her seeking an apprehended violence order against the NSW upper house independent MP. She claims in her AVO application that Latham inflicted 'a sustained pattern' of psychological, financial and emotional abuse on her over almost three years. Ms Matthews alleges the 64-year-old committed degrading acts including forcing her to have sex with other people and 'defecating on me before sex and refusing to let me wash'. Latham has denied abusing Ms Matthews in any way during what the former federal Labor leader has called a 'situationship' and a 'sexed-up, consensual, open arrangement'. Ms Matthews was previously an OnlyFans porn star who posted hundreds of sexually explicit images of herself on the user-pays site under the name Bondi C** S***. The onetime Liberal candidate for Sutherland Shire Council then quickly reinvented herself as an international entrepreneur with a particular focus on the United Arab Emirates. The Skynet Global Logistics 'head office' is in a shared workspace above the Westfield shopping centre in Oxford Street, Bondi Junction, where a desk can be rented for $825 a month. The phone number at that office is not connected and a secondary Perth office, which is a workspace in Capital Square Tower 3 on Spring Street, does not have a landline. The NMF Services website boasts its headquarters are in the United Arab Emirates and the listed address is another shared workspace, on Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard in Dubai. Daily Mail Australia had no response after sending messages to the email addresses for either Skynet Global Logistics or NMF Services and got no answer ringing the Dubai number. Ms Matthews describes Skynet Logistics on LinkedIn as a freight forwarding company specialising in coordinating and organising the movement of goods across air, sea, rail and road. 'With 15 years of experience in international logistics, we provide comprehensive freight solutions that connect businesses worldwide,' the company website states. 'Our expertise in global trade and commitment to excellence makes us your ideal logistics partner.' NMF Services, according to its website, is 'a leading freight forwarding and logistics company based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates'. 'We provide Ocean and Air freight services globally and Land Transportation for all your imports and exports,' Ms Matthews states. Ms Matthews declined to comment on Skynet Global Logistics or NMF Services but it is understood she has told friends she is 'stepping back' from both operations while her court case is ongoing. Daily Mail Australia revealed on Thursday that Ms Matthews converted to Islam in November 2022 and adopted the Muslim name Maryam Abdullah. A 'Certificate of Declaring Islam' issued by the United Arab Emirates shows Ms Matthews using her date of birth and maiden name Darrough to formally embrace the religion. A demure picture of Ms Matthews wearing a hijab appears at the top of the certificate which lists her previous religion as Christian. The document welcomes Ms Matthews into the Islamic fold with the induction: 'We praise Allah who guided her to Islam so she should adhere to the rulings of Allah and abstain from the forbidden.' Among acts forbidden by Islam are fornication - consensual sex between two people who are not married - while gambling and drinking alcohol are frowned upon. A Certificate of Islam is not required for a person to become a Muslim but some organisations provide an official document for legal or travel purposes. To gain such a certificate in the Muslim-majority UAE a convert must provide a valid passport, other identification, and one personal photo in which a woman should be wearing a hijab. Ms Matthews declined to comment on Wednesday night why she converted to Islam or whether she still considered herself to be Muslim. To become a Muslim, Ms Matthews would have recited the Shahada: 'I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.' Her LinkedIn profile says she has advised for Compass Logistics International, managing and developing trade between Australia and the Gulf Cooperational Council, for the past 19 months. LinkedIn also shows Ms Matthews has been a freelance host of Import Export TV - '[the] world's first and only channel dedicated to international trade and global supply chains' - since 2023. Ms Matthews states 'over the past few years' she has been working across the UAE and Australia 'helping to build companies, launch ventures, and unlock opportunities'. With a background in the freight industry, Ms Matthews gained a Bachelor of Business from Southern Cross University in 2009 and an MBA from the Australian Institute of Business in 2015. As Nathalie May Darrough she married British-born Ross David Matthews about seven years ago but the pair reportedly parted ways in 2022. Police are now seeking an apprehended violence order to protect Ms Matthews from her ex-husband, who has pleaded not guilty to using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend. Daily Mail Australia revealed on Wednesday that Ms Matthews had previously been in a relationship with a man she met through the transport and logistics industry who was about 20 years older than her. After they broke up, police sought an AVO against Ms Matthews - as Nathalie Darrough - to protect the man but in June 2015 the application was withdrawn. In February 2018, Ms Matthews - still known as Darrough - pleaded guilty to shoplifting from the Camilla fashion boutique at Westfield Miranda in Sydney's south. She was placed on a 12-month good behaviour bond without conviction and ordered to pay $449 to the store. Daily Mail Australia is also not suggesting any wrongdoing by Latham, only that Ms Matthews has made allegations against him as part of applying for an AVO. That application is listed for mention at Downing Centre Local Court on July 30.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Ex-husband of Mark Latham's former partner Nathalie Matthews is accused of harassing the porn star with phone calls and emails for months
The ex-husband of Mark Latham's former porn star partner is accused of waging a two-month campaign of harassment against her while they were engaged in a Supreme Court battle. Ross Matthews has been charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend Nathalie Matthews with phone calls and emails between 7am on April 1 and 4.30pm on June 2. The starting date of that alleged conduct coincides with the first listing of a case Ross Matthews brought against his 37-year-old ex-wife in the equity division of the Supreme Court. That case was last before court on May 21, almost a year to the day since Nathalie Matthews has claimed Latham, a One Nation turned independent NSW MP, proposed to her at Sydney 's acclaimed Otto restaurant. The one-time Matthews marital home at Sutherland in the city's south is listed as Ross Matthews's address on court papers and was advertised for rent at $840 a week on June 23. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with views across the city had previously been rented for $640 a week and was last bought for $790,000 in September 2019. Matthews, who did not appear in person, pleaded not guilty to the harassment charge on Wednesday and was legally represented at Downing Centre Local Court. Solicitor Alen Sahinovic said his client might be producing independent phone records in his defence and the matter was set for hearing on December 19. The court heard an apprehended violence order police were seeking against the 34-year-old on behalf of Ms Matthews was associated with the criminal charge. UK-born Matthews had previously boasted proudly about his marriage. 'Six months since I woke up with a killer hangover and still managed to make the best decision I have ever made!' he wrote in the wake of their wedding. In another post, Matthews added: 'Happy one year! I cannot believe how fast a year can go! 'I would be lying if I said it's been the best year of my life - in fact it's easily been the worst but it is in bad times that picking the right life partner is of the most importance! 'I just could not imagine doing life without you, love you always and here's to many years to come!' The fresh allegation against Matthews came a week after he insisted he no longer had anything to do with his former wife since their split three years ago. Matthews spoke out after Ms Matthews accused 64-year-old Latham of 'a sustained pattern' of psychological, financial and emotional abuse during their relationship. 'Please stop messaging me,' Ross Matthews posted to X on July 16. 'I don't speak to Nathalie and do not care. Thank you.' A day earlier, The Australian newspaper cited messages between Ms Matthews and a friend which stated Latham had proposed to her on May 18 last year. (That date has been reported by as May 23). Latham responded to that claim by alleging Ms Matthews was still married while he was in what he called a 'situationship' with her. 'Now The Australian is "reporting" that I proposed to Nathalie Matthews in May last year,' he posted on X. 'They missed the joke: she was still married to Ross Matthews, and maybe still is to this day.' Nathalie May Darrough married Ross David Matthews in 2018 but their union reportedly ended in 2022, before she began going out with Latham. Ms Matthews has said she was in a relationship with Latham for at least two years before he proposed, meaning they had been together earlier than May 2022. Daily Mail Australia confirmed Ms Matthews and Latham as a couple in July 2023 after they each posted pictures of themselves to social media in the same row of seats on Court 1 at Wimbledon. Ms Matthews is privately seeking an AVO against Latham, accusing him of vile conduct 'including defecating on me before sex and refusing to let me wash'. She further claims he forced her into degrading sexual acts, demanding she call him 'master' and pressuring her to take part in sex with others. Ms Matthews also alleges physical violence including Latham pushing her against walls, forcing her out a door, throwing a plate at her, and driving at her with a car. In her AVO application, Ms Matthews states she still holds fears about Latham. 'The defendant has held intimate photos and videos of me, and I have been afraid he would expose them to shame and control me if I attempted to leave or resist his demands,' she wrote. Daily Mail Australia is also not suggesting any wrongdoing by Latham, only that Ms Matthews has made allegations against him as part of her AVO This publication revealed on July 18 that Ms Matthews had worked as an OnlyFans porn star for years before she began dating Latham. Ms Matthews posted hundreds of explicit images of herself on the site under the name Bondi C** S***, as well as videos showing her having sex. Latham has denied ever mistreating Ms Matthews during what he describes as a 'sexed-up, consensual, open arrangement'. He has not disputed sending sexually graphic texts to Ms Matthews - but says some messages have been taken out of context - and has not denied having sex with Ms Matthews in Parliament House. 'The big news is I had a private life,' Latham told 2SM's Chris Smith on July 16. 'I had a sex life and I've got to say it was fantastic.' 'If I'm the only person in Australia who in a work environment engaged in a bit of playful sex talk with their partner, then I'll buy everyone a lottery ticket tomorrow.' Ms Matthews describes herself as the managing director of Skynet Global Logistics, a company involved in freight forwarding which has a presence in Sydney, Perth and Dubai. On Thursday, Daily Mail Australia revealed she had converted to Islam in November 2022 and adopted the name Maryam Abdullah. Ms Matthews' AVO application is listed at Downing Centre Local Court on July 30.
