One Nation senator Mark Latham slams Greens as ‘barbaric nutters’ but faces a furious backlash over a ‘child molester’ tweet – as he tries to BAN courts being told if a parent has been involved in the death of kids
- Mark Latham slammed proposed new bill designed to protect Aboriginal kids
- He called Greens ‘barbaric’ and ‘nutters’ ahead of the vote on the new bill
- Latham claimed it would force youngsters to stay at home with child molesters
- The bill passed the NSW Upper House after Latham’s claims were debunked
Mark Latham has been branded a ‘disgrace and a hypocrite’ after attacking a bill that aims to prevent Aboriginal children being taken into care.
The bill passed the NSW Upper House on Wednesday and aims to enshrine current best practice guidelines into law to limit indigenous children being removed from their families.
But the former Labor leader who now leads One Nation in NSW tweeted ahead of the vote: ‘Completely barbaric from these Green nutters.
‘The NSW Greens have a bill before our upper house today saying: If a monster is raping a little girl in an Aboriginal household it would cause more harm to remove the girl from the home. And find a loving, safe family elsewhere.’
One Nation senator Mark Latham (pictured) has been branded a ‘disgrace and a hypocrite’ after attacking a bill that aims to prevent Aboriginal children being taken into care
The bill passed the NSW Upper House on Wednesday and aims to enshrine current best practice guidelines into law to limit children being removed from their families (pictured, a stock image of Indigenous children)
But the senator’s outburst was condemned by Labor and the Greens, with even Christian conservative Fred Nile and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party backing the bill.
Mr Latham refused to discuss his tweet on Thursday, but he sparked fury on the floor of the house when he repeated the claim.
‘We do not for one minute accept that it somehow gives a green light to leave children who are being sexually or physically abused,’ Labor’s Penny Sharpe said.
‘That is absolutely not what the provision does. It is wrong to put it that way. We are all concerned about the sexual and physical abuse of children. It is a serious matter.’
Former Labor leader Mark Latham, who now leads One Nation in NSW state parliament, tweeted ahead of the vote: ‘Completely barbaric from these Green nutters’
Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Amendment (Family Is Culture Review) Bill 2021 is based on a report by respected indigenous expert and former UN lawyer Professor Megan Davis.
Her report found the current child protection system failed to protect or support Aboriginal children, and made 126 recommendations.
The new legislation, tabled by Greens senator David Shoebridge, includes 17 of the recommendations and would put into law the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child and Young Person Placement Principle, which is the basic guideline that is supposed to be used nationwide.
But as well as opposing the Greens’ bill, One Nation also tried to block letting the Children’s Court know if a parent or carer was involved in the death of another child.
The senator’s outburst has been condemned by Labor’s Penny Sharpe (pictured) and the Greens, with even Fred Nile and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party backing the bill
‘I genuinely couldn’t believe it,’ Mr Shoebridge said.
‘He was trying to prevent details of coronial findings being given to the child protection system.
‘Why Mark Latham thinks that details about people who may have been involved in the death of a child should not be available to the court is more than a mystery.
‘It’s a disgrace.’
He added: ‘He doesn’t understand what he’s doing. He doesn’t understand how the law works. These reforms are about keeping Aboriginal children safe.
‘If there is evidence of physical or sexual abuse and the child has been at risk, the child will still be removed.
‘But hopefully the child will be placed into kinship care so that they can be kept safe and on country.’
The new legislation has been tabled by Greens senator David Shoebridge (pictured)
The MLC said the backlash from One Nation was surprising given the party’s normal rhetoric.
‘It’s extraordinary to see Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party attack this reform,’ he said.
‘On all other occasions they stress the need to support families and acknowledge the importance of families – so this is obviously hypocritical and political.’
The bill was opposed by the NSW Coalition government but passed the NSW Legislative Council by a 19-13 vote and will now go before the Legislative Assembly.
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