WA Minister Jackie Jarvis keen to delete Mark Latham from party’s history and labelled portrait as ‘offensive’
A WA Minister has weighed in on calls to remove Mark Latham’s portrait from the wall of Labor’s caucus room in Federal Parliament, declaring he is “not a very pleasant human being”.
Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis was commenting a day after a bizarre press conference, where Mr Latham denied an ex-partner’s abuse allegations but repeatedly refused to deny “degrading” sex acts - including in his NSW Parliament office.
The former Labor Leader turned Independent denied he had any explicit footage of their relations.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“I’ve broken no law,” Mr Latham told reporters in Sydney. “I have checked my devices and I can’t find any material.”
Senior Labor Minister Tanya Plibersek said the party is discussing removing his portrait from the wall of former leaders, and on Sunday WA’s Agriculture Minister said it is “not a good look” for it to remain there.
“I suspect that a lot of modern young women in the Labor party would find it quite offensive to have his photo up,” Ms Jarvis told reporters in Perth.
“My personal view is he’s not a very pleasant human being.”
Ms Plibersek revealed she cried, when Mr Latham was elected leader of the Labor Party in 2003.
Ms Plibersek said she did not see any evidence of behaviour alleged against Mr Latham but always had “doubts about him as a political figure.”
“I think those doubts have only increased in recent decades as his behaviour has become worse and more extreme.”
Ms Plibersek said the fact he has been described as a “pig” was “perfectly justified.”
Mr Latham resigned from Federal politics in 2005, and later defected to the Liberal Democrats and One Nation, and is currently an Independent MP in the NSW Upper House where his term is not due to expire until 2031.
He has defended X-rated texts sent from inside the parliamentary chamber, saying he was guilty only of being “human” and “male”.
Mr Latham said the leaked text exchanges had nothing to do with an AVO application made by his ex-partner Nathalie Matthews and hit out at “puritanical wowsers” who thought that there was anything wrong with them.
He has described domestic violence allegations as “comically false and ridiculous”, and a “political campaign” to damage him.
“The big news is I had a private life. I had a sex life that I’ve got to say was fantastic,” he said.
Originally published on The West Australian
