Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones lashes Mark Latham for attempting to ‘reheat the culture wars’ in the wake of violent clash in south-west Sydney

Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones has declared “Australians expect better of their elected representatives” as he accused Mark Latham of trying to “reheat the culture wars” instead of focusing on issues like cost of living following a physical clash in south-western Sydney overnight.

Mr Jones appeared on Sky News Australia on Wednesday morning following the ruckus between hundreds of people and about 15 LGBTQI+ protesters outside a church in Belfield. 

The New South Wales One Nation leader was due to speak at an event inside the church, where NSW Police say about 500 people had gathered at about 5pm.

One of the protesters filmed himself as he was shoved to the ground and surrounded, while police allege glass bottles and other projectiles were thrown at officers who were attempting to disperse the melee.

Superintendent Sheridan Waldau described the violence as “very disappointing” when she spoke to media on Wednesday morning.

She added that protesters had been removed from the area “for their own safety” and that police did not expect any follow-up attacks.

Mr Jones told Sky News Australia he felt the events were “most unfortunate”.

“For God’s sake can’t our politicians focus on the issues that are really of great consequence in this country,” he said.

“Cost of living, national security, environmental catastrophe, how we have jobs and how we educate our kids, these are the things that matter.

“Not idiots like Mark Latham running around trying to reheat culture wars that have a detrimental effect on our kids, and frankly distract the community from the things that really matter.”

He added that he wanted to see the “heat” taken out of the issues he thought “we put aside a year ago” and suggested Mr Latham was using the controversy for the sake of his political career.

In response to the violence on Tuesday the NSW One Nation leader released a series of tweets in which he said he “didn’t see what happened on the front street,” but condemned those involved for taking the law “into their own hands”.

“Violence at political events is wrong,” he said.

However, he labelled advice from police not to give the speech at the centre of the controversy as a “denial of democracy” claiming that it would have allowed protestors to “cancel” his right to free speech.

Deputy opposition leader Susan Ley also spoke to Sky News Australia following the events on Tuesday and while admitting she had not yet read “detailed reports of what happened” said she was concerned by the behaviour of protesters in recent months.

“The sort of creeping nastiness and the abhorrence of some of the behaviour of some of the people who protest is adding a really uncomfortable tone to what should be an opportunity for Australians to have their say,” she told Peter Stefanovic.

“Of course, the awful Nazi salutes, it doesn’t really even bear talking about, and bringing it to light.”

Her reference to the hate symbol came after far-right protesters in Melbourne clashed with other groups near Victoria’s Parliament on Saturday, leading to calls for the gesture to be banned.