Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described some of Mark Latham's views as "repulsive" after the federal Labor caucus voted to add a caption to the former leader's portrait at Parliament House, reflecting the party's disavowal of his subsequent conduct.
Speaking on ABC's 7.30, Mr Albanese said he regretted Mr Latham's election as leader in 2003, a position he held until 2005, and that he had expressed this opposition at the time by supporting Kim Beazley. He said history had proven his judgment correct, and that Mr Latham had moved "further and further" away from values representing mainstream Australia.
The new text on the portrait states that Mr Latham was expelled from the Labor Party in 2017 and banned for life, adding that his actions do not accord with Labor values and fail to meet expected standards. Mr Latham was expelled after joining the Liberal Democrats to run in NSW state politics and has since been a member of One Nation.
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said the decision acknowledged history and that Mr Latham's actions do not align with modern Labor values. She noted he was a leader for two years and that the portrait reflects the past, but the caption serves as an important reminder of his expulsion and unacceptable behaviour.
The controversy follows Mr Latham's recent legal and personal issues, including a defamation loss over homophobic comments about MP Alex Greenwich and allegations of emotional, physical and financial abuse from a former partner, Nathalie Matthews, who is pursuing an apprehended violence order. Mr Latham responded on social media, comparing the party's move to Stalin's purges in the Soviet Union in the 1930s.
