Controversial ex-Labor leader Mark Latham unleashes on his former party for making embarrassing change to his parliamentary portrait - as he reveals the risque image he wants to replace it

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

Former Labor leader Mark Latham has furiously hit out at his former party after a note was added to his parliamentary portrait condemning his behaviour.
The portrait will continue to hang in Parliament House despite Latham, who was banned from Labor in 2017, being accused of domestic violence.
His former partner Nathalie Matthews alleged a 'sustained pattern' of abuse.
Her allegations include he pressured her to take part in 'degrading' sex acts.
Latham strongly denies the untested claims made in a civil court apprehended violence order application by Ms Matthews, saying he has 'broken no laws'.
Calls have grown since the allegations were raised for his official portrait in Labor's federal party room to be removed.
But a Labor caucus meeting on Monday was told a 'unanimous consensus position' had been reached where the framed picture would remain, but with a caption that would provide context.
The words will read: '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 to add context to Latham's portrait was the right one, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said.
'But it's a recognition ... his behaviour and attitudes don't reflect the modern Australian Labor Party.'
Senator Gallagher said the wording allowed people to feel something had been done.
'It will exist there forever on our leaders wall,' she said. 'It's a pretty strong statement.'
Latham led Labor between 2003 and 2005 and currently sits as an independent in the NSW upper house.
He has been hit with calls to resign over sexually explicit messages allegedly sent to his former partner while sitting in the chamber of parliament.
On Monday, Latham hit back on X, sharing a picture of himself at a table with mostly women. The women included his former partner Ms Matthews and sex worker and racehorse owner Carly Electric.
He wrote: 'Can't the Labor caucus go the full Stalin and white me [out] with a trace around my head?
Latham hit back on social media and mocked his former party
Latham shared a picture of himself at a table with mostly women while referencing an Australian Financial Review report, in which a source said he 'had a harem'
'Or replace that boring head shot with what the AFR says is my harem?'
The mocking post was a reference to an Australian Financial Review report last week that said complaints had been made about the former Labor leader's table at a $600-a-head champagne room at Randwick in Sydney, in April.
The table included his Ms Matthews and sex worker and racehorse owner Carly Electric.
A member reportedly told the AFR: 'It's like he had a harem.'
Latham, who led Labor from 2003, lost his bid for the nation's top job at the 2004 federal election to former Liberal prime minister John Howard.
The campaign was marked by his aggressive handshake with Howard outside the ABC's radio studios on election-eve.
The infamous episode was largely blamed for his election defeat and delivered the Howard government a fourth term.
Latham retired from politics a year later in 2005 before joining the Liberal Democratic Party in 2017, leading to a ban from his former party.
He joined One Nation's NSW branch in 2018, but was sacked as its leader in 2023 following a homophobic social media post.
The Federal Court in 2024 ordered Latham pay independent NSW politician Alex Greenwich $140,000 in damages over the homophobic post.