Former Labor leader Mark Latham has furiously hit out at his former party after a note was added to his parliamentary portrait condemning his behaviour.
The portrait will continue to hang in Parliament House despite Latham, who was banned from Labor in 2017, being accused of domestic violence.
Latham strongly denies the untested claims made in a civil court apprehended violence order application by his former partner Nathalie Matthews, and said he has ‘broken no laws’.
Ms Matthews alleged a ‘sustained pattern’ of abuse. Her allegations include he pressured her to take part in ‘degrading’ sex acts.
Calls have grown since the claims were made public for his official portrait in Labor’s federal party room to be removed.
But a Labor caucus meeting on Monday was told a ‘unanimous consensus position’ had been reached where the framed picture would remain, but with a caption that would provide context.
The words will read: ‘In 2017 Mark Latham was expelled from the Australian Labor Party and banned for life. His actions do not accord with Labor values and fail to meet the standards we expect and demand.’
Mark Latham (pictured) led Labor from 2003 to 2005 before being banned in 2017
A note condemning Latham’s behaviour has been added to his Parliamentary portrait
The decision to add context to Latham’s portrait was the right one, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said.
She said it was a ‘recognition’ that Latham’s behaviour and attitudes don’t align with the modern Australian Labor Party and that the wording allowed people to feel something had been done.
Latham led Labor between 2003 and 2005 and currently sits as an independent in the NSW upper house.
He has been hit with calls to resign over sexually explicit messages allegedly sent to his former partner while sitting in the chamber of parliament.
On Monday, Latham hit back on X, and said: ‘Can’t the Labor caucus go the full Stalin and white me [out] with a trace around my head?’
He then shared a picture of himself at a table with mostly glamorous women, adding that this should instead be used as his parliamentary portrait.
The women at the table included his former partner Ms Matthews and comedian Carly Electric. It is not suggested Latham had a relationship with any of the guests at the table other than Ms Matthews.
Latham hit back on social media and mocked his former party
Latham shared a picture of himself at a table with mostly glamorous women and said this should instead be used as his official portrait
Latham lost his bid for the nation’s top job at the 2004 federal election to former Liberal prime minister John Howard.
The campaign was marked by his aggressive handshake with Howard outside the ABC’s radio studios on election-eve.
The infamous episode was largely blamed for his election defeat and delivered the Howard government a fourth term.
Latham retired from politics a year later in 2005 before joining the Liberal Democratic Party in 2017, leading to a ban from his former party.
He joined One Nation’s NSW branch in 2018, but was sacked as its leader in 2023 following a homophobic social media post.
The Federal Court in 2024 ordered Latham pay independent NSW politician Alex Greenwich $140,000 in damages over the homophobic post.
On Monday night, Anthony Albanese weighed in on the allegations and said that he never wanted Latham to be his party’s leader.
Anthony Albanese spoke about the allegations against Latham on Monday night and said he campaigned against him being party leader 20 years ago
‘Mark Latham has views which I find repulsive across a range of areas,’ Mr Albanese told ABC’s 7.30.
‘He’s someone who I regret being elected leader of the Labor Party.’
Mr Albanese said his feelings were not in ‘retrospect’ as he had been doing the numbers for Kim Beazley during the 2003 leadership challenge which Mr Latham narrowly won.
‘History has proven that judgment to be correct. Mark Latham since … has gone further and further and further away from any values that represent mainstream Australia,’ he said.
