Former Liberal MP Craig Laundy close to settling lawsuit with ex staffer he had affair with, court hears

Ex-Liberal minister Craig Laundy, his wife and his daughter have almost settled a lawsuit by his former staffer who alleged she was threatened, lied about and harassed, a court had heard.
Lawyer Natalie Baini had been a ministerial staffer for the Liberal Party when she formed a romantic relationship with the married Laundy.
Filing a NSW Supreme Court civil lawsuit against the ex-MP, his wife Suzanne and daughter Sophie, Baini alleged she was the centre of harmful conduct after the affair was called off, including trespass, injurious falsehood and assault.
She alleged she was lied about, threatened and had people break into her home.
Laundy allegedly described Baini as “a one-night stand that went for two years” and spread falsehoods about her to people in the media, the Liberal Party and the prime minister’s office, she earlier told the court.
On Friday, the parties appeared for a brief hearing where Justice Nicholas Chen was told the lawsuit was close to resolving.
“The matter has settled in principle, subject to terms being finalised,” said solicitor Paul Svilans, representing Laundy and his family.
He said he hoped an agreement would be set in stone next week, with discussions expected to continue.
Baini also launched a separate NSW Supreme Court lawsuit against the Liberal Party, claiming she was blocked from being preselected to contest the inner west Sydney seat of Reid at the 2019 federal election.
She ran as an independent in 2022, but was unsuccessful in securing the seat, which fell to Labor’s Sally Sitou.
Her claims of breach of privacy and injurious falsehood were struck out by Justice Sarah McNaughton who said they were either not available under Australian law or so lacking in specificity as to be embarrassing.
Baini did not take up the judge’s offer to re-plead the case and it is now closed.