Latham’s AVO fight with ex-partner ‘likely to settle’
An application for an arrest warrant against controversial MP Mark Latham by his former partner is “likely to be agreed”, a court has been told.
Nathalie May Matthews, 38, has filed a special AVO to protect herself from the one-time federal Labor opposition leader after accusing him of years of manipulation and constant harassment.
Mr Latham, who now sits as an independent in the NSW upper house, has denied the allegations and has not been charged with any offence.
After three months of negotiations, Ms. Matthews’ lawyer said the parties were nearing an agreement.
“(We) will most likely deal with and resolve matters in their entirety,” Daniel Wakim told Sydney Downing Center Local Court on Wednesday.
He withdrew his application for an interim AVO which, if accepted, would have protected Ms Matthews until the matter returns to court for a three-day hearing in May 2026.
The proposal for a non-publication order regarding the court dispute was also withdrawn as the matter continued towards a possible resolution.
Outside court, Mr Wakim said the terms of the proposed deal would remain confidential while Ms Matthews and Mr Latham continued negotiations.
“Discussions are ongoing,” he said.
“Everything else is proceeding as usual.”
Mr Latham claimed on social media on Tuesday that the AVO had been withdrawn in full.
“I was supposed to be in Sydney Local Court tomorrow for the final installment of the private AVO application against me,” he wrote to X.
“But now it has been delisted and the application has been withdrawn… that’s the end of it.”
However, Ms Matthews’ long-term AVO application is still ongoing and will return to court in December.
Mr Latham has been an independent MP since 2023 after a dispute with One National chairman Pauline Hanson led to him stepping down as the party’s state leader.
He helped return the right-wing party to state politics in 2019, 15 years after its failed attempt to lead Labor to federal election victory.
The MP had been involved in several scandals recently, including taking photos of female MPs without their knowledge, for which he apologized.
Calls for his official portrait to be removed from Labour’s federal party room have resulted in the addition of a sign declaring he has been banned from the party for life.
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