‘He’s my bitch’: Mark Latham blasts NSW Premier amid hate speech laws scandal
Independent NSW MP Mark Latham has labelled embattled Premier Chris Minns his “bitch” after the Labor leader lashed out at him while under increasing pressure from an upper house inquiry into his controversial hate speech laws.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns’ staffers are facing arrest after failing to front an inquiry into whether he “misled” parliament about a fake anti-Semitic terror plot in order to pass hate speech laws.
Mr Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley have both refused to appear before an upper house committee chaired by independent MP Rod Roberts examining the passing of the controversial Labor legislation, which the Premier rammed through parliament in February after lobbying from the Jewish community.
The laws were supported by the Opposition, and Liberal leader Mark Speakman then refused to help minor party MPs repeal them after a caravan full of explosives used by Mr Minns to justify the legislation was revealed to be a “criminal con job” by police.
The committee, which does not have the authority to compel Mr Minns and Ms Catley to appear as they are members of the lower house, then summoned James Cullen, Edward Ovadia and Sarah Michael from Mr Minns’ office and Ross Neilson and Tilly South from Ms Catley’s, to give evidence on Friday.
When the five did not attend, Mr Roberts instructed NSW upper house president Ben Franklin, who was appointed by Mr Minns and is godfather to one of his children, to apply for arrest warrants from the Supreme Court.
Mr Minns and his Police Minister Yasmin Catley have both refused to appear before the upper house committee, which was set up to examine the hate speech legislation the Premier rammed through parliament in February after lobbying from the Jewish community.