AARON PATRICK: Are Mark Latham abuse allegations the end of the man once seen as Labor’s saviour?

Mark Latham was once the great hope of Australian politics: a man of courage, intelligence and humour.

Today, his reputation lies destroyed, by his own hand, words and deeds.

The latest, and perhaps the greatest blow, comes from a former lover. Nathalie Matthews has made allegations so sordid that it is hard to see how the former Labor Party leader will be able to fulfil his public duties as a NSW member of Parliament.

Detailed in court documents published by The Australian, they include: “Defecating on me before sex and refusing to let me wash, forcing degrading sexual acts, pressuring me to engage in sexual acts with others, demanding I call him ‘master’, telling me I was his property, and repeatedly telling me that my only value to him was for sex to demean and control me.”

They go on, in unpleasant detail: “Physical violence, including pushing me against walls, forcing me out the door, throwing a plate at me during an argument, and driving at me with his vehicle, hitting me with the side mirror and causing a bruise.”

The Nightly is not suggesting the allegations are true, only that they have been made and that Ms Matthews is making an application for a domestic violence order.

Denial

Mr Latham denied Ms Matthews’ assertions and accused her of retaliating against him for ending their relationship on May 27. She has sought an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order that would force him to stay 100 metres away from her.

Also known as AVOs, the orders are issued by magistrates in response to allegations that can be denied but are generally not examined in depth. The nature of the case could make it difficult for Mr Latham to convince a court that he is not the ogre portrayed in the application. He has not been charged or contacted by police.

Mr Latham can always explain himself in public, and on Monday evening he used social media to state that the claims were “comical and ridiculous” and he had “scores of documents to show that”.

“The Australian newspaper has published a story based on allegations from Nathalie Matthews which are comically false and ridiculous. I have scores of documents to show that and will rely upon them to defend myself,” he wrote.

“As the old saying goes, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”

Whatever the nature of those documents, Mr Latham faces a crisis of credibility that undermines his ability to help make laws in NSW.

In a follow-up post attached to his tweet, Mr Latham added: “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.”

In domestic violence cases, public support normally sides with the person presented as the victim. Ms Matthews, who appears to be a self-employed logistics operator, is 27 years younger than her ex-partner, creating the perception of a power imbalance between the two.

Emotional stability

This is not the first time sex has gotten Mr Latham into trouble. He was successfully sued last year for a homophobic remark about another MP’s sexuality.

Other incidents have raised questions about his emotional stability. In April, the Australian Turf Club issued him with a 12-month good behaviour order for swearing at an ATC executive at the Rosehill Race Course.

He separated from his second wife, a magistrate, three years ago, a break-up he blamed in part on the pandemic lockdown.

After being elected to Federal Parliament in 1994, he was seen as one of the Labor Party’s most promising representatives because of his ability to articulate the aspirations of the working and middle classes.

But his poor political judgment was exposed by the 2004 election, which he lost badly to Prime Minister John Howard.

He resigned from Parliament a year later, and began a shift to the right of politics that led to a friendship with conservative radio host Alan Jones and senior Liberal Party members from NSW.

Financially secure

In 2019, he won a seat in the NSW upper house as a One Nation representative. He was re-elected in 2023, then quit the far-right party to become an independent after falling out with party founder Pauline Hanson — a split that surprised no one involved in politics.

Mr Latham has six years left in the Legislative Council, which would take him to 70. He will be entitled to a Federal Parliamentary pension when he retires.

While his position is financially secure, he faces being isolated in politics and the community, making him a lonely figure if he decides to serve the rest of his term.

These allegations make it almost certain he will be remembered for his personal controversies as an old conservative rather than the progressive promise he showed as a young Laborite.

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