Latham Responds to Abuse Allegations, Calls AVO Claims ‘Comical’

Matthews seeks court order to bar Latham from approaching her, alleging abuse and requesting a two-year protection order and 100m exclusion zone.

Independent MP Mark Latham speaks to media in Bankstown, Sydney, Australia, on Jan. 20, 2023. AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

Independent NSW MP and former Labor leader Mark Latham has strongly denied allegations of domestic abuse made by his former partner, Nathalie Matthews, who has lodged a private application for an apprehended domestic violence order (AVO).

The matter is scheduled for a hearing on July 30, but Latham says he has not yet been served with any official documents.

Matthews, a businesswoman with logistics operations across Dubai, Sydney and Perth, is reportedly seeking an interim order preventing Latham from coming within 100 metres of her, along with a final two-year protection order.

According to a report in The Australian, Matthews alleges a sustained pattern of emotional manipulation and physical abuse during their relationship.

In response, Latham has issued a blanket denial, telling Sydney radio station 2SM that “basically none of it” is true.

Posting on social media platform X, he called the claims “comically false and ridiculous,” and said he has “scores of documents” to disprove the accusations.

Latham argues that Matthews’ AVO application has now morphed into a personal and political campaign designed to damage his reputation.

He has also taken aim at media coverage of the allegations, particularly a recent article suggesting he proposed to Matthews.

Latham said Matthews was still legally married at the time and accused the journalist involved of being aware of the Family Court context but choosing to distort it.

“This now goes beyond the AVO,” Latham said. “This is a personal or political campaign to try and damage me.”

The local court has declined to release Matthews’ application documents, noting they contain untested claims.

Graphic Messages From Parliament Chamber

Adding to the controversy, The Daily Telegraph revealed that Latham exchanged explicit and sexually graphic WhatsApp messages with Matthews while seated inside the NSW parliamentary chamber.

The messages, now public, are part of a bombshell text log that emerged alongside Matthews’ abuse allegations, which include claims that Latham forced her into “degrading sexual acts.”

While Matthews has not commented further, referring media to her legal counsel, Latham has rejected all allegations of physical or sexual misconduct.

He described the accusations as “absolute rubbish” and said he would rely on documented evidence to defend himself.

Parliamentary Scrutiny, Premier’s Response

Premier Chris Minns has criticised Latham’s conduct, calling it “completely unacceptable.”

Minns also condemned reports of the sexting episode inside parliament, saying voters expect MPs to focus on debates, not engage in inappropriate personal messaging.

“That’s a pretty basic expectation,” he told reporters.

The Minns government is preparing to move a motion for a parliamentary inquiry into Latham’s use of parliamentary privilege stemming from prior conduct, unrelated to the AVO.

In June, Minns accused Latham in question time of being a “shameful bigot” after Latham exposed confidential medical details of independent MP Alex Greenwich on the floor of parliament.

Latham was previously ordered to pay Greenwich $140,000 in defamation damages after posting a homophobic tweet ahead of the 2023 state election.

Latham, who challenged John Howard for the prime ministership in 2004, resigned from federal parliament in 2005 and later left the Labor Party.

He re-emerged in politics as a One Nation MLC in NSW in 2019, before quitting the party in 2023 to sit as an independent.