Mark Latham defends decision to leave Labor Party and join Liberal Democrats

FORMER Federal Opposition leader and Werriwa MP Mark Latham has defended his decision to sever his ties with the party he once led to join the Liberal Democrats.

Mark Latham said he joined the Liberal Democrats because he regarded the party as one of free speech and which allowed the open debate of ideas.

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FORMER Werriwa Federal Labor MP Mark Latham has defended his decision to sever his ties with the party he once led to join the Liberal Democrats.

Mr Latham, who in recent years has become an outspoken critic of the Labor Party and politics in Australia, said the last straw came when he was not permitted to speak at an ALP function at Smithfield RSL Club earlier this year.

“You can’t rub people out and stop them from speaking,’’ he said.

Mr Latham, who was the Federal Labor Opposition Leader from 2003-05, said he then terminated his ALP membership in March this year.

Former Labor Leader Mark Latham outside Parliament House in Canberra.

He said his decision to join the Liberal Democrats was inspired by his attendance at a Liberty conference in Sydney where people were permitted to discuss and debate ideas in an open and democratic process.

“I have lived in the Macarthur area for 50 years and served the community on issues,’’ he said.

“I have fought against urban sprawl, fought to save Hurlstone and fought for more services and for my troubles I was not allowed to speak at (Labor) functions,’’ he said.

“I’m not going to be treated that way. People said I have no right to speak.’’

Mr Latham said the Liberal Democrats were a party of free speech, discussion, dissent, one which would openly debate ideas and he supported 80 to 90 per cent of their platforms.

He said his decision to leave the ALP was not really a tough one.

Mark Latham (right) and Ross Cameron pictured on Sky News earlier this year.

Mr Latham said he was not concerned that he has been banned for life from the ALP because “the horse has bolted’’.

However he said he was very disappointed there had not been a “single peep of support’’ for him from local Labor MPs.

Mr Latham said he had no plans to contest an election for the Liberal Democrats because elections were a long way away.

On his Facebook page Mark Latham’s Outsiders, he said as a Liberal Democrat, he wanted to play a role in fighting for “our national values, based on personal freedom and responsibility’’.

Mr Latham said the Liberal Democrats allowed room for dissent and diversity of opinion.

“Shorten Labor is only interested in diversity of skin colour, gender and sexuality — Safe Schools BS,’’ he said on Facebook.

Mr Latham entered federal politics in 1994 when he won the seat of Werriwa in a by-election.

He rose through the ranks and became the Federal Opposition Leader in December 2003 but lost the 2004 election and then resigned from the role and also parliament in 2005.

Since leaving politics, Mr Latham has become a political commentator and from December last year to March this year, co-hosted Outsiders on Sky News Live.

His employment at Sky News was terminated on March 29 after a series of controversial comments.