The Latham Diaries
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LC Class | DU117.2.L37 A3 2005 |
The Latham Diaries (
Synopsis
The book is an abridgement of Latham's personal diary, from his election to the Australian House of Representatives in 1994 until his retirement in 2005. He has claimed that the book is not intended to discredit the ALP but rather to correct the record for the benefit of his sons. He alleged that the media has not accurately portrayed him during his time in Parliament.[citation needed]
Latham frequently refers to his belief that in the 10 years between the ALP losing office in 1996 and publication of the Diaries, Labor failed to respond to major changes in Australian society, wrought by
Latham reiterates his belief, expounded in earlier books such as Civilising Global Capital (1998) that the ALP should reject many of its traditional policies, such as protectionism and the welfare state, but instead focus on the expansion of social capital. Those views and Latham's frustrations with the development of party policy over time, are shown in his entry for August 12, 1999:
- The horse bolted in the first half of the [20th] century when Labor abandoned its mutualist traditions—Third Way, a fourth way, a fifth way. In practice, it will take a miracle for the control freaksand power junkies of the Labor movement to reform their ways. I'm pissing in the wind. (p.110)
In the book and in interviews following its release, Latham also singled out Beazley for harsh criticism on the grounds of character. He alleged that as both party leader and an ordinary MP, Beazley failed to offer Latham and other Labor MPs the support and loyalty that they were due. In a now-famous comment, he described Beazley as "a dirty dog" who is "not fit to clean toilets at Parliament house".[1]
Reception
The book sold rapidly, and the publisher had to order a second print run before the first had gone on sale.[2] The book has been described as showing insight into the Parliamentary Labor Party after Keating.[3]
References
- ^ "The World Today - Latham sees himself as 'whistleblower'". Abc.net.au. 19 September 2005. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ^ "Latham Diaries a lunchtime sell-out". theage.com.au. 19 September 2005. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ^ Natalie Mast (8 April 2015). "Book review: The Latham Diaries, ten years on". Theconversation.com. Retrieved 5 January 2018.