Latest news with #MarkSpeakman
ABC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
NSW Premier says Gareth Ward must leave parliament after sex abuse conviction
The NSW premier says it is "ridiculous" that disgraced Kiama MP Gareth Ward remains in parliament after being convicted of serious sexual offences. Chris Minns today confirmed the government had legal advice that the Legislative Assembly had the power to remove the independent MP from parliament, even with an appeal pending. "It is completely, I think, ridiculous to be in a situation where someone has been not accused, not charged, but convicted of incredibly serious sexual assault convictions and stay as a member of parliament," Mr Minns said. Ward was found guilty by a District Court jury on Friday of four charges relating to the sexual abuse of two young men. That evening, the Minns Government issued a statement calling on the former Liberal minister to resign to protect the integrity of the parliament. Opposition Leader Mark Speakman also called for Ward's resignation on Friday. "If Mr Ward does not resign, then upon its resumption the parliament should swiftly take all appropriate steps to protect its integrity," Mr Speakman said. Ward will remain on bail until a detention application is considered by the District Court on Wednesday. His bail was varied, requiring him to report to police daily at either Kings Cross or Nowra A date for sentencing will be set on Wednesday. Mr Minns said any action taken by the NSW parliament would not be punitive, as it was the court's responsibility to determine punishment. But he said the parliament must protect its own integrity. "The Legislative Assembly needs to be in a position where it can assert the integrity of the House," Mr Minns said. "And one of the positions it can take is to say: If you have been convicted of these serious charges, it is not reasonable that that member stays on." The Premier said steps should be taken when parliament resumes in August. "Many taxpayers, many voters, would say 'Are you really suggesting that someone who has been convicted of these incredibly serious charges continues on as a member of parliament even when they are in jail?" the premier said. While the NSW Constitution allows MPs to remain in parliament while appealing a conviction, University of Sydney constitutional law expert Professor Anne Twomey said the parliament had the power to expel a member to protect its integrity, even before sentencing or appeal outcomes. "It would be a matter for the parliament to decide if this was an extreme case," she said. "But in an extreme case they could say 'Well it just undermines the ability of our House to operate, because people will lose trust in us and respect for us and therefore, in the circumstances, we have to expel and leave it up to the people to decide'." Mr Minns acknowledged the nature of the hung parliament and said he was yet to speak to the cross bench or opposition on whether they would support a move to expel the independent MP. The premier said he did not want the "enormous courage" of the two complainants to get lost in "a political bun fight" about Ward's future. "If you speak to survivors of this kind of sexual assault, they will tell you that going through the process of reporting it to the police and then a criminal trial turns your life upside down all over again," Mr Minns said. "That should not be forgotten in all this." During the trial the two complainants, who were aged 18 and 24 at the time of the offences in 2013 and 2015, gave detailed and often emotionally charged evidence. They both told the court of their deep reluctance to come forward, which was rooted in fear, self-blame and what they saw as a significant power imbalance between themselves and Ward.
ABC News
22-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
NSW Liberals will continue to work with MP Mark Latham on sexual harassment amendments
The Coalition will hold its nose and continue working with upper house MP Mark Latham on amendments that would change the definition of sexual harassment, says Opposition Leader Mark Speakman. The proposed amendments to the government's workers compensation bill could prevent some employees who are subject to unwanted sexual advances from claiming compensation. Under the Coalition amendments, for behaviour to qualify as sexual harassment, an accused worker would have to "know" or "should reasonably know" that their sexual advance or conduct was "unwelcome". While the NSW government's bill takes the victim's opinion into account, the Coalition amendments state that an alleged perpetrator's "knowledge and intent" should be the primary factor. Mr Speakman said the changes would still protect workers from "ignorant bigots" but wouldn't necessarily allow employees to claim compensation if a colleague "makes a pass" at them. "It's not just whether the worker who makes a complaint says it's unwelcome," Mr Speakman said. "It's whether there was knowledge, or somebody who was reasonable, ought to have known [it was unwelcome]." A series of amendments to the workers compensation bill carry the name of both Mr Latham and Damien Tudehope, the leader of the opposition in the upper house. They were circulated before news broke that Mr Latham's former partner, Nathalie Matthews, had sought an apprehended violence order against him. Police are not involved in the matter and the independent MP has labelled Ms Matthews' claims "comically false and ridiculous" whilst vowing to defend himself in court. Last week, it also emerged that Mr Latham had sent disparaging photos and comments about some female MPs to Ms Matthews, which he said was part of an "in-joke" that had been taken out of context. He has since apologised, describing the photos as "ill-advised". Mr Speakman, who has just returned from leave, said Mr Latham's behaviour on the floor of parliament was "deplorable". "But they're the cards with which we've been dealt." He said Mr Latham had been duly elected by the people of NSW, so the Coalition would continue to work with him. "Sometimes you've got to hold your nose," he said. During a lengthy media conference on Saturday, Mr Latham said he'd had numerous conversations with government ministers about the passage of legislation. Mr Speakman said it showed the government was being hypocritical in its repeated demands that the Coalition sever ties with the independent MP. "What we won't do is pretend, like the government does, that we don't work with Mark Latham." The state government introduced its workers compensation bill earlier this year, in an effort to reduce premiums for employers, which are rising by an average of eight per cent a year. Under the changes, workers would be cut off from regular compensation payments after two-and-a-half years, unless they can prove a whole-person impairment of at least 31 per cent. The measure is designed to significantly reduce the benefits being paid to employees with psychological injury claims, which are rising rapidly. Mr Speakman said the government's plan would cut off support to victims of "severe" sexual harassment, when it should be preventing claims which have little merit. "[The problem] is not long-term benefits for a subset of workers," he said. He said that changing the definition of sexual harassment would be "much fairer and more productive" and denied it would excuse poor workplace behaviour. "If you have a bigot, who should know better, and makes unwelcome sexual advance, that will be covered by the amendment we proposed. "If the government wants to come up with alternative wording, we're happy to look at that," he said.
Perth Now
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
State's move on ‘vile' AI deepfakes
The NSW Coalition will seek to outlaw the distribution of sexually explicit deepfakes following a string of high-profile incidents involving students, teachers, and workers. The Bill, which is yet to be introduced to parliament, would create new criminal offences in NSW for producing and/or distributing sexually explicit deepfakes. It would also cover threats to share deepfakes without consent, including privately, and empower courts to order the removal of 'synthetic abuse' material. Opposition leader Mark Speakman said women and girls in NSW had been left exposed by a failure by the Labor government to keep pace with new technology. 'This is a form of abuse, plain and simple. Women and girls are being targeted, violated, and humiliated by code,' Mr Speakman said. 'The emotional toll is devastating. Victims are often left without recourse, knowing these fake images can live on the internet forever.' Shadow attorney-general Alister Henskins said the law 'must modernise' to recognise digitally faked images, audio, and video were a 'crime'. Fifteen-year-old Matilda 'Tilly' Rosewarne took her own life after relentless bullying that included a fake nude image. Supplied Credit: Supplied 'If it's not your body or voice, it's not your right to control another person's autonomy. That principle must be written into NSW law,' Mr Henskins said. In 2023, sexually explicit deepfake videos accounted for 98 per cent of the 95,820 deepfake videos that were online – most of them depicting women. An April report by the NSW Parliamentary Research Service found that intimate image offences were 'not designed with deepfakes in mind'. The report found the existing offences had become outdated in a 'relatively short period of time' due to the rapid advancement of technology. Recent Commonwealth offences, also applicable in NSW, were also found to be unable to 'do all the work' when it came to deepfakes. It comes more than three years after the death of 15-year-old Matilda 'Tilly' Rosewarne, who took her own life after bullying that included a fake nude image. Her mother, Emma Mason, attended the NSW and South Australian governments' joint summits earlier this year into the effects of social media on youths. The national eSafety Commission found last year that there had been a 550 per cent increase in explicit deepfakes year on year since 2019, many made with AI. Opposition leader Mark Speakman said women and girls in NSW had been left exposed to 'vile' deepfakes. NewsWire / Jeremy Piper Credit: News Corp Australia NSW opposition spokeswoman for women Felicity Wilson said the impact of AI deepfakes was being felt by women 'every single day, across the state'. 'It's happening in our schools, where teachers and students are being targeted,' she said. 'It's happening in our sporting fields, where our women athletes are being targeted, in our workplaces, and in people's homes, where it's being used for control and oppressing women in relationships.' Ms Wilson said women were 'crying out' for better action and called on men to support the legislation. 'We know that AI can be an incredibly powerful tool for good, but when it's used to abuse and degrade and humiliate women, that is something that's no longer innovation,' she said. 'It's abuse, and we're going to make a difference by passing this legislation through this parliament.'
News.com.au
08-07-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
‘Has to stop': NSW opposition's plan to criminalise AI deepfakes
The NSW Coalition will seek to outlaw the distribution of sexually explicit deepfakes following a string of high-profile incidents involving students, teachers, and workers. The Bill, which is yet to be introduced to parliament, would create new criminal offences in NSW for producing and/or distributing sexually explicit deepfakes. It would also cover threats to share deepfakes without consent, including privately, and empower courts to order the removal of 'synthetic abuse' material. Opposition leader Mark Speakman said women and girls in NSW had been left exposed by a failure by the Labor government to keep pace with new technology. 'This is a form of abuse, plain and simple. Women and girls are being targeted, violated, and humiliated by code,' Mr Speakman said. 'The emotional toll is devastating. Victims are often left without recourse, knowing these fake images can live on the internet forever.' Shadow attorney-general Alister Henskins said the law 'must modernise' to recognise digitally faked images, audio, and video were a 'crime'. 'If it's not your body or voice, it's not your right to control another person's autonomy. That principle must be written into NSW law,' Mr Henskins said. In 2023, sexually explicit deepfake videos accounted for 98 per cent of the 95,820 deepfake videos that were online – most of them depicting women. An April report by the NSW Parliamentary Research Service found that intimate image offences were 'not designed with deepfakes in mind'. The report found the existing offences had become outdated in a 'relatively short period of time' due to the rapid advancement of technology. Recent Commonwealth offences, also applicable in NSW, were also found to be unable to 'do all the work' when it came to deepfakes. It comes more than three years after the death of 15-year-old Matilda 'Tilly' Rosewarne, who took her own life after bullying that included a fake nude image. Her mother, Emma Mason, attended the NSW and South Australian governments' joint summits earlier this year into the effects of social media on youths. The national eSafety Commission found last year that there had been a 550 per cent increase in explicit deepfakes year on year since 2019, many made with AI. NSW opposition spokeswoman for women Felicity Wilson said the impact of AI deepfakes was being felt by women 'every single day, across the state'. 'It's happening in our schools, where teachers and students are being targeted,' she said. 'It's happening in our sporting fields, where our women athletes are being targeted, in our workplaces, and in people's homes, where it's being used for control and oppressing women in relationships.' Ms Wilson said women were 'crying out' for better action and called on men to support the legislation. 'We know that AI can be an incredibly powerful tool for good, but when it's used to abuse and degrade and humiliate women, that is something that's no longer innovation,' she said. 'It's abuse, and we're going to make a difference by passing this legislation through this parliament.'
Sydney Morning Herald
01-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
The NSW families who have just had a $65 hit to their electricity bills
Struggling families will see fewer dollars come off their electricity bills after the NSW government quietly cut back its energy rebates. The energy rebate for low-income families with concession cards has been slashed from $350 per year to $285 this financial year. The medical energy rebate, which helps those with certain medical conditions that require extra energy use for treatment, was cut from $350 to $200. The family energy rebate, which applies to Family Tax Benefit recipients, was cut from $250 per year to $180. The seniors energy rebate has also been reduced from $250 to $180. The gas rebate remains unchanged at $110 per household. The rebates were increased last year following a $100 million budget injection, which the state government has chosen not to continue. This year's budget papers show cutting the benefit to low-income families will save $55 million alone. Loading The NSW opposition has seized on the cuts as evidence the state government isn't doing enough to combat the cost of living. 'When the cost of everything is going up, cutting cost-of-living relief isn't just out of touch, it's the wrong priority. Chris Minns should be making life easier, not harder,' opposition leader Mark Speakman said. A spokesperson for Energy Minister Penny Sharpe said the rebates were returning to previous levels.
