Latham refuses to deny Jones organised freebies for him

Serial hospitality recipient Mark Latham has refused to rule out that his long-term friend and veteran broadcaster Alan Jones arranged tickets for him to attend VIP events.

Serial hospitality recipient Mark Latham has refused to rule out that his long-term friend and veteran broadcaster Alan Jones arranged tickets for him to attend VIP events.

Last week The Daily Telegraph revealed that the former One Nation NSW leader had received tickets to Wimbledon and the Magic Millions and declared them in disclosures to the NSW Upper House.

But both men he said had supplied the tickets denied they had done so. When The Daily Telegraph asked if they had actually been supplied by Alan Jones, before Jones was charged with 26 offences including indecent assault and sexual touching, Mr Latham went quiet.

When the former tennis ace was approached last week his management denied supplying the tickets.

Alan Jones and Mark Latham at the launch of the book they wrote together: Conversations in the Kitchen. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

“Mark doesn’t recall supplying Mark Latham with any tickets as he doesn’t know him on a personal level. The doesn’t have a relationship with Mr Latham at all.”

Last night, Mr Latham resurfaced on X to try and hose down the looming crisis.

“Their obsession with Mark Philippoussis ticket at Wimbledon 2023 is the most hilarious of the lot,” he wrote. “The Poo and I messaged each other in the week leading up, he told me to go to ticket box opposite an entry gate on far side of Wimbledon.

“It was his ticket and I declared it accordingly. Thanks to the Poo!!.”

In direct response to Mr Latham’s post last night Mr Philippoussis replied that he would “love to see the text then if it’s true”.

Mr Latham also claimed that tickets to the Magic Millions horse sale and race day were supplied by John Messara from Arrowfield Stud.

But Mr Messara told The Daily Telegraph: “Arrowfield Stud has never given Mr Mark Latham or any other MP free trips or accommodation.”

Their book was published in 2018. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

So who did supply the tickets? Mr Latham has failed to answer that question in light of their denials.

However Mr Latham does have very close links with Mr Jones. They wrote a cookbook together in 2018 and in 2019 the broadcaster confirmed he had put $10,000 into the coffers of One Nation saying he was “supporting a mate”.

Both Mr Philippoussis and Mr Messara have a close relationship with Jones - he had a close friendship with Mr Philippoussis as his manager and owns a string of racehorses with Mr Messara.

As both deny providing Mr Latham with the tickets despite his official disclosure to parliament, the unanswered question remains, who did?