NSW One Nation Leader Mark Latham unleashed on Lisa Wilkinson – in parliament of all places – over her complaints of a pay gap at nine.
This is where MP’s chat about issues they find concern their electorates or have local significance – for instance, they might discuss climate change or road works.
Presumably, Latham found Wilkinson discussing the gap she experienced at Nine very concerning because he started the discussion during statements.
Latham brought up Wilkinson under the guise of having a larger conversation about the gender pay gap in Australia.
Currently, according to The Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia’s national gender pay gap is 14.2 per cent – this amounts to a difference of $261.50 per week between women and men.
Interestingly, Latham seemed more interested in criticising Wilkinson as a person, than using her as an example to discuss the larger issue.
According to news.com.au, Latham said: “Recently one of Wilkinson’s old classmates contacted me to say ‘that’s Lisa, it’s always been about the money’.”
“We went to Campbelltown High together and she couldn’t get out of here fast enough.”
“She’s always been as tight as all get out, it’s always about the money and the victimhood.”
Latham was likely referring to Lisa Wilkinson’s allegations in her new book, It Wasn’t Meant To Be Like This, where she spoke about the pay gap between her Today Show co-host Karl Stefanovic and herself.
According to The Daily Telegraph, Wilkinson wrote that while she had heard that Karl Stefonivic had allegedly inked a $2 million dollar a year deal, she was earning less than half of his salary.
Latham said: “Boo-hoo for her first world problems. Posting a picture from her Mosman mansion, with smudged mascara, feigning distress.
“While also carefully – in classic product placement – posing with copies of Mr Wilkinson’s ghostwritten books in front of her.”
Latham appeared to have been referring to an Instagram post by Wilkinson. It was a fairly vulnerable post about the difficulties she faced when she was writing her memoir.
Wilkinson wrote: “Ever wondered what writing a book looks like?
“For me, it was often like this: puffy, mascara-stained eyes after hours of tears & many months of a complete crisis of confidence, totally convinced I just wasn’t up to the task.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWAFrPcFped/
News.com.au also reported that Latham went on to critique Wilkinson’s time as editor of Dolly and Cleo magazine.
Latham said: “There’s never any mention of the plight of migrant women or poorly-paid factory jobs or sweatshops, there’s never any mention of the Indigenous women having the life beaten out of them in country NSW hellholes.
“If this is feminism then God help the women of the world.”
Of course, because Latham said all of this under parliamentary privilege. This means Wilkinson doesn’t have much legal recourse if she wishes to label his claims as defamatory.
