Minns launches fierce attack on Latham over antisemitism

NSW Premier Chris Minns has launched a scathing attack on former One Nation MP Mark Latham in parliament, accusing him of being “one of Australia’s biggest bigots” and lambasting him for ignoring 367 antisemitic attacks across the state.

Minns targeted Latham during question time on Thursday, while criticising the Legislative Council for blocking government reforms.

“I want to speak about one of those ‘honourable’ members, the Hon Mark Latham. No doubt members opposite will come to his defence. He seems to be the one calling the shots in the upper House,” Minns said.

The premier cited a March 2023 homophobic attack by Latham on Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich on social media, which a court found constituted “unlawful homosexual vilification and sexual harassment in the workplace”.

He also referenced Latham’s controversial 2016 comments about domestic violence advocate Rosie Batty, whose son was murdered by her estranged partner. Latham had said Batty was “causing more harm than good” and claimed domestic violence perpetrators use violence “as a coping mechanism”.

Minns said Latham had continued his attacks on Batty as recently as last month, calling her treatment by a member of parliament abusive.

The premier then turned to what he described as Latham’s “odious Twitter account”, citing a post from two months ago that read: “Two Jews on Sky News saying ‘the fake antisemitism narrative must stop’ … Minns emboldened the Jewish lobby and now it’s out of control.”

“Of course, it is that old trope of bigots everywhere, blaming a Jewish conspiracy,” Minns said.

The premier quoted Liberal member for Vaucluse Kellie Sloane’s contribution to an upper house inquiry into antisemitism, where she described the term “hoax” as feeling “like an affront” to the Jewish community.

“Fire-bombings of synagogues, of people’s homes—that was real. There was nothing that was a hoax or fake about that,” Sloane had said.

Minns told parliament there had been 367 antisemitic attacks in NSW over the past two years, which he said were “blithely ignored” by Latham.

“In the upper House, The Greens, the Coalition and One Nation are emerging as a coalition that is voting together day after day to platform one of the most shameful bigots in New South Wales,” the premier said.

The heated parliamentary session was interrupted twice by protesters in the public gallery, with the Speaker directing attendants to remove them and apologising for the disturbance.

The premier’s attack on Latham came as the controversial Legislative Council inquiry into the Dural caravan incident continues.

According to The Daily Telegraph, Minns’ top staffer James Cullen was grilled in a fiery parliamentary hearing on Friday, following an arrest threat over his refusal to appear.

Five senior staffers from the offices of Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley appeared before the inquiry after summonses were issued threatening their arrest, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The staffers faced intense questioning over their decision not to attend an earlier hearing, with committee member Sue Higginson asking Cullen whether he knew it would be contempt to not follow the summons.

The Daily Telegraph reported that Cullen insisted work on anti-terror legislation began before the caravan incident, rejecting suggestions the hoax was used as justification for the laws.

When questioned about when he became aware the Dural caravan incident was a criminal hoax rather than terrorism, Cullen said the premier “took a view” based on police advice at the time, according to The Daily Telegraph.

However, inquiry chairman Rod Roberts challenged Cullen, noting that only Minns had used the word “terrorism” to describe the incident, not senior police officers.

In a fiery exchange reported by The Daily Telegraph, Cullen eventually conceded he did not take notes during police briefings, claiming these were not “decision-making meetings”.

Roberts said the committee found it “extraordinary” that “not a single note” was kept on such a significant national security event, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The inquiry seeks to establish who knew what and when about the Dural caravan, an explosives-laden caravan found in Sydney’s north earlier this year, and any connection with the anti-hate laws passed in February, which were welcomed by the Jewish community.

Minns has refused to appear before the inquiry and on Wednesday accused the Legislative Council committee of operating “close to a kangaroo court”, according to The Daily Telegraph.