Senior Liberal woman breaks ranks over working with Mark Latham

7 hours ago 2

One of the NSW Liberals’ most senior women says the party should not work closely with Mark Latham, contradicting the opposition leader’s stance that the party would “work with everybody”.

A day after Mark Speakman said that “you’ve got to hold your nose” and work with the rogue upper house MP, Kellie Sloane told ABC Radio she was not comfortable with Latham’s actions in parliament.

“I ran a big business before I came into politics, I employed a lot of people, and if any of them had behaved in the workplace the way he had I, quite frankly, would have sacked them,” she said.

“I don’t think we should be working closely with Mark Latham at all.”

Sloane, seen as a star performer in the party, said that aside from allegations of abuse made by Latham’s former partner, there are “other reasons why lots of people are uncomfortable about working with Mark Latham”.

Her comments appear to contradict statements made by Liberal leader Speakman on Tuesday, who said he would work with anyone elected to parliament “whether we like it or not”.

Latham and upper house Liberal MP Damien Tudehope have jointly written an amendment to the government’s workers’ compensation bill that would introduce an additional test for sexual harassment claims. Under the amendment, a person who makes a sexual advance towards a colleague would need to have known, or should have known, that the advance was unwelcome.

Speakman and Tudehope have taken public stances against Latham’s alleged conduct, but both said working with him on workers’ compensation reforms or other issues is necessary while he remains an elected member of parliament.

“I would not for a moment condone the reprehensible behaviour of Mr Latham, but they’re the cards which we’ve been dealt ... so sometimes you’ve got to hold your nose,” Speakman said.

Tudehope said last week that the Liberals would work with anyone with good ideas. The Coalition has pointed out that Labor figures, including Treasurer Daniel Mookhey, have been known to meet with Latham as well.

While Labor has not supported Latham’s appointment to any committee chair positions, it has worked with the MP to win him over on legislation.

Last week, Latham apologised to women MPs, including Liberal Susan Carter, after it emerged he had taken photographs and made offensive comments about them in messages to his former partner Nathalie Matthews that were exchanged while parliament was sitting.

Latham, a former federal Labor leader who now sits in the NSW upper house as an independent, has been accused of domestic violence by Matthews. Latham emphatically denies the allegations.

Matthews, a Liberal Party member, businesswoman and former OnlyFans creator, is pursuing a private apprehended violence order in the NSW courts. NSW Police have not laid any charges against Latham.

The Herald does not suggest the allegations are true, just that they have been made.

“What we had for over two years was a sexed-up, consensual, open arrangement between adults,” Latham said on Saturday.

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