Labor will keep Mark Latham’s portrait in the Parliament House party room with one major change

Anthony Albanese has defended the decision to leave the portrait of Mark Latham in Labor’s Parliament House party room, despite saying he should never have been leader.

Labor will keep the portrait of disgraced former leader Mark Latham in their Parliament House party room, a move defended by the Prime Minister despite his personal disdain for the embattled politician.

An additional plaque will be attached to the portrait, notinng Mr Latham was “banned of life” in 2017 and failed to “meet the standards we expect and demand”.

“He’s someone who I regret ever being elected leader of the Labor Party,” Anthony Albanese told 7.30 on Monday night.

“That’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 that history has proven that judgment to be correct.”

The decision to keep the portrait was reached following public condemnation of the portrait from high-profile ministers including Sydney MP Tanya Plibersek, after it was revealed Mr Latham was subjected to a AVO application from his ex-partner Nathalie Matthews.

Mr Latham, who is now serving in the NSW upper house, has denied the claims and no police action has been taken.

The photo of Mark Latham will remain in the Labor Party room. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

While the portrait will remain in the caucus room, it will now be accompanied by a sign which reads: “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 after multiple Labor members raised the issue of Mr Latham’s photo, with the Labor caucus adopting a “unanimous consensus position,” on the wording of the plaque.

Mr Albanese said the decision for Mr Latham’s portrait to remain in the caucus room reflected history.

“I didn’t want Mark Latham to be the leader of the Labor Party, and was very clear about that at the time,” Mr Albanese told 7.30.

“It’s 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.

“Mark Latham has views, which I find repulsive across a range of areas.”

Anthony Albanese said the Labor caucus had made the decision to retain the Latham portrait, with a plaque saying he had been banned for life. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Since leaving federal politics after losing the 2004 election to John Howard, Mr Latham became the NSW One Nation leader before explosively resigning from the party in March 2023.

He is set to remain in the NSW parliament as an independent upper house councillor until his term expires in 2031.

Minister for Women Katy Gallagher conceded that while the party “can’t erase history,” 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.”

Mr Latham remains as an upper house councillor in the NSW state parliament. Picture: NewsWire/ Jeremy Piper.

Senator Gallagher added that the plaque “sends a message” that the ALP were serious about wanting and keeping more women in caucus, with women now making up 56 per cent of the Labor Party room.

“Adding the words also sends a message about the government we are now,” she said.

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

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

On Friday, Ms Plibersek said the decision to keep Mr Latham’s portrait in the party room would leave many people “scratching their heads”.

“Mark Latham’s behaviour in the state parliament is really something that would get him sacked from any other workplace,” she said.

She also admitted Mr Latham’s ascension to Labor Party leader left her in tears.

“I’ve been a member of parliament for a long time, and the only time I remember going home and having a little cry after work was the day that Mark Latham was elected as leader of the Australian Labor Party because I didn’t see evidence of this sort of behaviour back in the day, but I always had my doubts about him as a political figure,” she said.

“I think those doubts have only increased in recent decades as his behaviour has become worse and more extreme.”

Originally published as Labor will keep Mark Latham’s portrait in the Parliament House party room with one major change