The official portrait of Mark Latham, former federal opposition leader, will not be removed from Parliament House, Canberra, despite requests for its removal due to concerns regarding his behaviour. Instead, a plaque will be added to the portrait, stating that Latham was expelled from the Australian Labor Party in 2017 and banned for life due to actions that do not align with Labour values.
Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek has previously questioned the appropriateness of Latham’s portrait remaining in the Labor party room, particularly following recent allegations against him. Plibersek underscored that many might find it perplexing that Latham’s picture still hangs in the caucus room, especially given his controversial remarks towards domestic violence advocate Rosie Batty and claims of being a bigot.
Latham maintains his innocence and has denied any allegations of misconduct, referring to the situation as “nonsense.” He is currently facing accusations of domestic abuse from his ex-partner, Nathalie Matthews, who is seeking a private apprehended violence order against him. Matthews alleges that she experienced both emotional and physical abuse during their relationship. In response, Latham argues that Matthews is unjustly blaming law enforcement for not intervening in their matters.
The application for the apprehended violence order will be reviewed in the coming weeks.