The Latham Diaries continue

Today Mark Latham appeared in Campbelltown local court, charged with stealing and smashing a News Ltd photographer’s camera in a fit of anger, just under a year after his departure from public life. After initially missing a court date, he fronted and plead guilty to a charge of malicious damage. Charges of stealing and assault were dropped, his barrister duly handing over a cheque for $6763.70. This again raises the issue of freedom of press versus the privacy of individuals. Unfortunately, like many Labor leaders past (such as Keating and Hawke) although they have stepped back from the public eye, they are still snapped. Your local Hungers is a public place, and he should take it as a compliment that people are still interested in what he has to say.

Late last year, I attended his only public appearance to plug The Latham Diaries, giving a talk entitled 10 Reasons Why Young Idealistic People Should Forget About Organised Politics, where he outlined why

• Public apathy,
• The loss of personal privacy,
• The crippling impact on family,
• The rise of machine politics,
• The politics of personal destruction (Labor & Liberal),
• The entrenched conservatism of Australian politics,
• The arrogance and incompetence of media &
• Social solutions to Social problems

should convince young people to stay out of politics.
“The system is fundamentally sick and broken, and there are other more productive and satisfying ways in which you can contribute to society. Whatever you do, don’t get involved in organised politics.”

I disagreed and continue to stay involved, and look forward to the State Election at the end of the year. November 25. Put it in your diaries.

It’s on like Donkey Kong.

The story has gone as far as Seattle:

“SYDNEY, Australia -- Mark Latham, the former leader of Australia's opposition Labor Party, pleaded guilty Tuesday to smashing a photographer's camera. Ross Schultz from Rupert Murdoch's News Ltd. papers was taking photos of Latham and his two young sons outside a Sydney restaurant on Jan. 19 for a story marking the first anniversary of the 44-year-old's departure from public life.
Latham's lawyer, Clive Steirn, accused the photographer of provoking the attack.

There is no doubt Latham "snapped," but "the circumstances were not of his own making," Steirn told the Campbelltown Local Court in southwestern Sydney. Prosecutors dropped charges of assault and stealing, and Latham pleaded guilty to the remaining malicious damage charge. The charge carries a penalty of up to two years in jail, but Magistrate Michael Stoddart required Latham only to post a bond pledging good behavior for two years.
Latham also agreed to pay $5,048 to cover the cost of the camera.

Under Latham, the center-left Labor Party when it suffered a devastating defeat by Prime Minister John Howard's center-right coalition at elections on Oct. 9, 2004. Latham quit politics three months later citing ill health. In 2001, Latham broke a Sydney taxi driver's arm in a dispute over a fare.”