New South Wales politician Mark Latham called on media conference on Saturday morning to address the growing number of allegations about his relationship with former partner Nathalie Matthews and his conduct as a parliamentarian.

The embattled MP faced the media for forty minutes, arguing that he was a victim of an unfair intrusion into his personal life, while denying many of the allegations that have been raised over the past week.

- Advertisement -

On Monday night The Australian newspaper revealed that Nathalie Matthews, who is described as the CEO of a global digital logistics company, had filed an domestic violence order against the politician filled with a series of explosive accusation.

She accused Latham of controlling behaviour, degrading sexual practices, encouraging her to have sex with other people, and accusations of violence including throwing plates at her, and once coming at her with a car. A court will consider the application before the end of the month.

Latham has denied the allegations, and OUTinPerth makes no assertion that they are true, only that the accusation has been made.

As the week progressed each day brought more accusations and revelations.

Among them accusations that Latham had participated in sexting via phone with Matthews while parliament was in session, and the revelation that Latham had sent photos of female parliamentary colleagues with disparaging remarks. The MP personally called those revealed in the texts to offer his apology.

There was also the suggestion that Latham had borrowed large sums of money off Matthews and then been tardy in paying it back. If such loans did occur he may have breached parliamentary rules by not disclosing them as required.

Matthews gave an interview to The Australian saying she feared that intimate videos she’s featured in might make their way into the public realm, and suggested on video featured sexual acts taking place in parliamentary offices.

At his media conference on Saturday Latham said his relationship with the business woman was consensual but “sexed up”. He refused to confirm or deny the allegation that he had sex in his office, but asked reporters if they had sex in their workplaces.

Latham said the pair’s relationship had come to an end a few months ago following an incident at the Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney.

“One thing’s abundantly clear, what we had for over two years was a sexed-up, consensual, open arrangement between adults with a fair bit of other contacts, such as fun days of the races thrown in,” he said. “I didn’t make any moral judgment about her.

“I just enjoyed our time together, and it was enjoyable for 90 per cent of the time, the other per cent could be dark and disturbing, but I rationalised it by thinking at my age — an age at which my father had already dropped dead — 90 per cent beat 10 per cent but ultimately, there was an incident that ended it all I mentioned earlier; the races.”

The MP said during that incident he’d feared for his safety, saying; “first time in my life I’d ever been physically scared of a woman”.

Latham said he had no recordings interactions filmed by Matthews on any of his devices, suggesting he may have been recorded without his consent.

“If she has recorded these videos, it is without my knowledge and consent, and there’s a question about the legality of such a practice.” Latham told the media.

Latham said the media interest in his personal life was unwarranted.

“These are sick people, so-called journalists, who have so little in their own lives they need to lather up and pry into others, like Peeping Toms,’’ he said.

Latham said many Australians had reached out to him to offer their support and admiration, including friends who had shared they were “jealous”.

Matthews responded to media requests saying that she has heard Latham’s responses, but will not be making any further comment at this time.

After Latham’s long media conference, which most media outlets described him as rambling and belligerent, the revelations about the politicians personal life continued to flow.

The Sunday Telegraph has published more alleged text messages between the alleging that for Latham’s 64th birthday two sex workers were hired. Sex work is legal in New South Wales and there is no suggestion that any laws were broken.