Mark Latham’s picture to remain in meeting room, PM condemns embattled MP

A new plaque condemning former Labor leader Mark Latham will be added under his picture. Following the party’s decision, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese slammed the embattled MP.

A portrait of former Labor leader Mark Latham will remain hung in the federal party’s Parliament House party room, with a new plaque to be added underneath it following debate among MPs.

Members of the Labor caucus decided to add sentences below his official leader’s portrait highlighting his expulsion and life ban from the party, implemented in 2017.

The new caption will include the words: “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”.

The decision was made by MPs who opted to get involved in a debate over what should happen to the portrait of Mr Latham, who was the leader of Labor from December 2003 to January 2005.

Mark Latham's portrait hanging in the Labor Caucus room at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Those who participated moved unanimously to add the plaque to the photo.

Responding on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr Latham said “Can’t the Labor caucus go the full Stalin and white me with a trace around my head?”

“Or replace that boring head shot with what (the media) says is my harem?”

The move by federal Labor comes after a week of controversy for Mr Latham, now an independent NSW MP, after it was revealed he was the subject of a private apprehended violence order by his ex-lover Nathalie Matthews.

Mark Latham at press conference in Camden. Picture: NewsWire/ Jeremy Piper.

Reasons for the order made by Ms Matthews include claims Mr Latham directed emotional, physical and financial abuse at her during their relationship, and that he pressured her to partake in “degrading sexual acts”.

Mr Latham on Saturday declared the allegations “complete nonsense”.

Minister for Women Katy Gallagher on Monday said the party “can’t erase history,” but the plaque sent a message on how “our relationship with Mark Latham had deteriorated”.

“He was a leader and a leader for two years and, you know, sitting there on the wall is an indication of where we have been, and perhaps for all of us, somewhere we don’t want to return to,” she told the ABC.

“But I think acknowledging the fact that he was expelled and that his actions don’t align with modern Australian Labor Party values, or standards of behaviour is important.”

Senator Gallagher said the words “also sends a message about the government we are now”.

“We talked the talk about gender equality, and attitudes and behaviours matter,” she said.

“When it comes to how women are treated in the workplace, you have to stand by those statements are not only stand by it, but demonstrate your action, and I think the agreement that Caucus reached today does that.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese holds the first Labor Caucus meeting of the 48th Parliament at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese weighed in on the plaque’s addition on Monday evening, telling ABC’s Sarah Ferguson he finds the former leader’s views “repulsive”.

“I didn’t want Mark Latham to be the leader of the Labor Party and I was very clear about that at the time,” he said.

When asked if he wanted to take Mr Latham’s picture down himself, Mr Albanese said his leadership was “a historical fact.”

“It’s a bit like statues and a range of things – history is there, the way to deal with that is to point out the changes that have occurred,” he said.

“Mark Latham has views that I find repulsive across a range of areas. He’s someone I regret ever being elected leader of the Labor Party.”

“That’s not something I do in retrospect, it’s something I fought very hard on when I was one of the people doing the numbers for Kim Beazley in that ballot.”

“I think history has proven that judgement to be correct.”

“Mark Latham since, though, certainly under any circumstances has gone further and further and further away from any values that represent mainstream Australia.”

Originally published as Mark Latham’s picture to remain in meeting room, PM condemns embattled MP