Mark Latham's splenetic comments about the Labor Party, the state premiers, the media and anyone else who got in his way received plenty of newsprint during the week – but almost no support. Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett has even expressed his concern about Latham's level of aggression and all-round mental health, which may be the most accurate political-medical analysis of the man who probably goes down as the most unsuccessful leader in Australian political history.
The Australian summed up the general mood:
"Mark Latham has confirmed the judgment of the Australian people – that he lacked the discipline to be prime minister. And he has also endorsed the majority opinion expressed at last year’s election of the party he led, and once professed to love, that the Australian Labor Party is a stalled political machine beyond starting. Mr Latham’s message is obviously considered, coming in quotes from his diary included in a book extract published yesterday. But it is also inflammatory and designed to do as much damage to Labor as possible."
But whilst the once adoring media rip into Mark Latham on the back of his new book, they seem to have forgotten that Latham was the leader who, up to election day, had the full support of the ALP and the candidates. He sought to be the Prime Minister, the ALP (and in particular the Left) supported him becoming PM. And so did quite a few media hacks.
In amongst all this love, Lathams biographer, Bernard Lagan was busy; observing and writing. Hopeful that the memoirs would become some sort of best selling tale of triumph to our new PM.
And there's the rub. Let's say he did win the election, these extraordinary stories would be published when he was PM. Now that is just plain scary. Imagine this mob as the current Australian Government and Latham as PM.
That was what the ALP wanted. That was what everyone in the press who criticised him this week wanted. They never told us he was a disloyal unstable dog, unfit for leadership, unable to consult etc etc. I can only wonder why are we hearing it for the first time now.
At the end of the day, the Australian people "got it right" and he lost the election. Thus we are now served up this self-pitying tale of woe. I guess that is the one positive in Latham's latest comments; they prove how lucky Australia was not to have had him as prime minister.
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