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ABC News
ABC News
National
Paige Cockburn

Mark Latham accuses NSW Labor MP Anna Watson of getting drunk at parliament bar and trying to drive home

A war of words has erupted between two NSW MPs, after one accused the other of getting "paralytically drunk" in the parliament bar, before trying to drive home. 

One Nation MP Mark Latham on Tuesday used parliamentary privilege to make the accusations against Labor's Anna Watson during a budget estimates hearing this morning.

"[She was] as drunk as anyone I've ever seen in my long time working in a parliament house," Mr Latham told a budget estimates hearing.

"Screaming into her phone 'you're too effing good for him, you're too effing good for him'."

While Mr Latham did not specify a date, Ms Watson issued a statement hours later and claimed she had, in fact, been drinking with the One Nation leader on the night of August 27, 2020.

The Opposition Whip and Shellharbour MP denied she had tried to drive home.

She said she had been dealing with a personal crisis at the time and she went to the bar outside of business hours and the upper house had not been sitting that day.

"I thought I had his ear and a shoulder to cry on that evening," Ms Watson said. 

"I did drink too much alcohol during that extremely stressful and traumatic period, I recognise this."

During the estimates hearing, Mr Latham claimed Ms Watson tried to drive home and parliamentary staff had to stand in front of her car to stop her from getting behind the wheel.

The chief executive of the NSW Department of Parliamentary Services Mark Webb told the hearing he wasn't aware of any security reports regarding the alleged incident.

"Take it on notice and check the records," Mr Latham said.

Mr Latham said he was raising the allegations as he didn't believe Ms Watson was fit to be on an advisory committee for the recent Broderick review.

Conducted by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, the investigation lifted the lid on a "toxic" culture in state parliament.

Ms Watson was a member of the parliamentary advisory group for the review, which found alcohol was a contributing factor to misconduct.

It recommended the government set boundaries around access and consumption of alcohol at parliament.

Labor's Anthony D'Adam said Mr Latham's line of questioning was "out of control" and budget estimates was not a time to launch personal attacks against other members.

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