‘Can’t erase history’: Labor to keep Latham’s portrait in parliament

Former federal Labor leader Mark Latham’s portrait will continue to hang in Parliament House after his one-time colleagues decided it should remain as a historical image with a note condemning his behaviour.

Latham has faced accusations of abusive behaviour from a former partner, which he has denied, allegations he filmed sex tapes in his parliamentary office, and revelations that he sent lewd messages while in state parliament, but his portrait is still on display in Labor’s party room in Canberra alongside all other former leaders.

Mark Latham’s portrait (bottom right) will remain in Labor’s caucus room with text added below it.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

On Monday, the party decided to retain the portrait with a note reading: “In 2017 Mark Latham was expelled from the Australian Labor Party and banned for life. His actions do not accord with Labor values and failed to meet the standards we expect and demand.”

Minister for Women Katy Gallagher said she was happy with the outcome, which struck a balance between condemning Latham’s behaviour and chronicling his role in the party.

“You can’t erase history,” she said. “We can’t pretend he wasn’t our leader. He was, and so there he sits in the leader’s timeline.”

Gallagher added that the unanimous decision to add the note was a statement on Labor values.

“Everyone feels really strongly about it, but I think... the words allow people to feel that something’s been done and stated publicly, and it will exist there forever on our leader’s wall. It’s a pretty strong statement,” she said.

“Putting a factual statement on the photo I think sends an important message.”

On Monday, Latham posted on social media site X mocking Labor’s decision. “Can’t the Labor caucus go the full Stalin and white me [out] with a trace around my head?” Latham said.

“Or replace that boring head shot with what the AFR says is my harem?” he said, alongside an image of himself at a table with mostly women.

It was a reference to an Australian Financial Review report last week that said complaints had been made about Latham’s table at a $600-a-head champagne room at Randwick in Sydney in April, which included his now-former girlfriend Nathalie Matthews and sex worker and racehorse owner Carly Electric. A disgruntled member told the AFR: “It’s like he had a harem.”

Latham first retired from politics in 2005 after leading the Labor opposition from late 2003 through its loss in the 2004 federal election, and wrote The Latham Diaries, a memoir which was scathing of his former Labor colleagues.

He returned to politics in 2017 and joined the Liberal Democratic Party, which led to his lifetime ban from Labor.

He joined One Nation’s NSW branch in 2018 and was sacked as its leader in 2023 following a homophobic outburst. He sits as an independent in the NSW parliament.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoed Gallagher when about Labor’s decision to keep the portrait on display and condemned his former colleague.

“Mark Latham has views which I find repulsive across a range of areas,” Albanese said on 7.30. “He’s someone who I regret ever being elected leader of the Labor party.”

Matthews, a Liberal Party member and former OnlyFans creator, is pursuing a private apprehended violence order accusing Latham of a “sustained pattern” of emotional, physical and financial abuse, and pressuring her into “degrading sexual acts”.

Latham has denied those allegations, emphasised police and the NSW parliament have not been involved, and accused the media of taking a prurient interest in his sex life. “I have broken no law,” he said on Saturday.

The matter will be heard before the NSW Local Court on July 30.

Labor’s party room also includes leaders from the early 20th century who championed the White Australia policy, which prime minister Gough Whitlam ended in 1973.

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