Mark Latham’s attack on Rosie Batty ‘a slur’

Mark ­Latham has accused domestic ­violence campaigner Rosie Batty of abusing female staff.

Rosie Batty ‘is a powerful and honest voice for good’. Picture: Steve Pohlner

The head of the Rosie Batty Foundation has rubbished claims by former opposition leader Mark Latham that the organisation has misused funds and a government minister’s car.

Citing his own 18-month ­investigation and quoting several former staff members who he said had approached him as whistleblowers, Mr Latham claimed Ms Batty was responsible for tensions at the foundation.

He also claimed there were ­financial ­irregularities which contributed to the resignation of key staff and board members.

Chairman Andrew Fairley, an equity lawyer and philanthropist, yesterday strenuously denied any financial mismanagement and said Mr Latham’s comments on Alan Jones’s 2GB breakfast show were a slur on Ms Batty.

Mr Latham was forced to ­resign as a columnist with the Australian Financial Review ­because of his social media ­attacks on Ms Batty.

“Mr Latham has repeatedly ­attacked Rosie and the work she does,” Mr Fairley told The ­Australian.

“It is very disappointing that he continues to reject the powerful message that Rosie carries so ­admirably about the very great harm done to women and children by violence in families

“As chairman of the Luke Batty Foundation, I am satisfied that there has been no financial misconduct on the part of Rosie Batty or any others on her behalf regarding foundation assets. Indeed, the foundation has been the subject of two independent financial audits. Rosie is a powerful and honest voice for good in our community.”

Mr Latham said he had been given documents which raised ­issues of financial mismanagement by people who wanted to help Ms Batty following her son Luke’s death at the hands of his father in 2014, but who had subsequently become demoralised after working with her.

“I made some inquiries about the foundation 18 months ago and I’ve got emails showing how I was fobbed off by their spin doctors, and whistleblowers have now given me documents pointing to a private account that the board of the Luke Batty Foundation wanted to close down,” Mr Latham said.

“It was an account held by Rosie Batty.”

It appears the account Mr Latham was referring to was an account set up by Ms Batty soon after the murder of her son but before the foundation in his name was established.

The board advised her that she could roll that account into that of the foundation’s but not because of any claim of mismanagement of funds.

There does not appear to be any obligation for Ms Batty to roll those funds into the foundation.

Mr Latham claimed there was an internal document from the beginning of 2015 which discussed a missing $135,000 but the documents are unclear about whether the funds were held elsewhere within the Foundation.

“Any foundation, any organisation where there’s a treasurer ­reporting a missing $135,000, you’d have to be concerned. I’ve asked questions of the foundation. I haven’t been given ­specific answers.

“Their excuse seems to be that the money in the private account was used to help Rosie Batty in her duties as Australian of the Year last year, attending some 300 speaking engagements.”

The Australian spoke to the auditor, Bradford Baker, who identified no irregularities.

The Australian also ­attempted to speak to the foundation’s former treasurer, Anthea West, but did not receive a ­response.

Former board members contacted by The Australian also did not respond to a request for ­comment.

Mr Latham said that a former staff member had told him Ms Batty sometimes travelled in the car of the Victorian Minister for Women, Fiona Richardson, of which she has on-call use and a driver entitlement.

“She is a great Australian and we make no apology for providing her with all necessary support to fulfil her role,’’ Ms Richardson said.

“None of it is adequate compensation for the contribution she has made.”

On the Luke Batty Foundation Facebook page Ms Batty has responded to critics questioning how her travel was funded.

“Don’t you worry, Shirley. It’s not coming out of your taxes,” the foundation responded to one user.