Jan 18 – 2.45pm – LATHAM PRESS CONFERENCE ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE. LIVE BROADCAST ON SKY NEWS. LATHAM RESIGNATION EXPECTED. BEAZLEY STATEMENT DUE LATER TODAY.
Jan 18 – 2.47pm
LATHAM RESIGNS….Developing…
Latham Experiment Over
Jan 18, 2.50pm – The Opposition Leader, Mark Latham, has just announced his resignation at a press conference in Ingleburn, NSW. He cited poor health as the reason for his resignation, but did not take questions at the hastily convenced conference.
- Listen to Latham’s statement (3m)
A statement from former leader Kim Beazley is expected later this afternoon. The Foreign Affairs spokesman, Kevin Rudd, is in Indonesia and it is not clear whether the ballot for a replacement leader will be contested.
3.00pm
Mark Latham has resigned as ALP leader and from his Werriwa electorate. At a short press conference this afternoon, the Opposition Leader said he is putting his health and his family first.
The announcement suggests Latham’s pancreatitis is serious and may have more ominous implications.
A by-election for Werriwa will now be held sometime in the next three months.
Latham was leader for 1 year, 1 month and 16 days, the shortest tenure of any Labor leader in the party’s 114-year history.
Deputy Leader Jenny Macklin is due to hold a press conference within the hour. Former leader Kim Beazley will speak to the media at 4pm.
It is not known whether there will be any other candidate for the position apart from Beazley. The interventions of state Labor premiers Carr and Beattie in the past 24 hours have been in Beazley’s favour.
Whilst the names of Stephen Smith, Julia Gillard and Lindsay Tanner have been raised as possible candidates, the only viable alternative to Beazley would appear to be Kevin Rudd. Latham supporters such as Simon Crean can be expected to oppose Beazley’s return, but whether Rudd can attract their support is a different matter. Gillard, a member of the Left faction, is unlikely to run, although the party would do well to replace the pedestrian Macklin with Gillard.
The NSW Treasurer, Michael Egan, also announced his resignation from Parliament today, allowing the NSW ALP Right the luxury of finding candidates for two safe seats. The timing of the two announcements is surely not coincidental.
