KIM Beazley is a "stand-for-nothing type of leader" and three of the successful Labor premiers are "A-grade arseholes".
These unflattering observations by the bitter former Labor leader Mark Latham are contained in a book to be launched in Sydney today.
Declaring the Labor Party "beyond repair, beyond reform", Mr Latham has also revealed for the first time his secret pre-election pact to quit politics if his pancreatitis ever returned.
As the storm over his comments was about to break yesterday, Mr Latham emerged mid-morning at his home in Sydney's western suburbs, strapping the kids into the back of his car and opening his driveway gates.
"I am retired, mate," he said, going on to suggest that the media crews "should have better things to do".
In the extract published in today's edition of The Bulletin, Mr Latham attacked Labor premiers for publicly urging him to resolve the leadership after he disappeared from public life during the tsunami crisis.
"People got to see a glimpse of how Carr, Beattie and Gallop are A-grade arseholes," Mr Latham declares.
"All their provincial bluster and posturing made no difference to anything. Never does. The media had to sit in the heat and report a load of rubbish.
"And Labor got the leader it truly deserves. The old party has become a very conservative institution run by conservative machine men (from all factions) so well suited to a conservative, stand-for- nothing type of leader."
Mr Latham also hints there is more to come in his personal diaries, to be published in October: "I was the last of the federal leaders not to be beholden to these roosters. I elaborate on these matters in my diary."
His outburst came as NSW ALP powerbroker Mark Arbib last night warned MPs
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must get behind Mr Beazley or risk becoming a political sideshow.
Loner: Inside a Labor Tragedy also reveals Mr Latham made a secret pact with his wife Janine before last year's election that he would leave politics if there were repeat episodes of his pancreatitis. He was struck down again at the end of December as the tsunami hit across Asia.
"Realistically we didn't expect to win the election -- nor did our pollster -- so if the worst came to the worst and I had to leave politics, it could be handled with comparative ease from opposition," Mr Latham reveals.
He is also scathing about the future of the ALP despite Labor leaders in every state and territory.
"It's beyond repair, beyond reform. That's sad for those Australians who see Labor as our best hope for social justice in this country. But I've got to be honest about it. It's false hope."
He also dismisses suggestions he should have played a more public role after the tsunami crisis.
"As for the Asian flood, Jenny Macklin was acting leader," he says.
"None of my verbiage could have made any practical difference -- bring back the dead, reverse the waves, organise the relief effort."
Mr Latham also confirms that his doctors suspected his illness was a side-effect of his earlier treatment for testicular cancer. But he remains optimistic about his future.
"Life goes on, potentially in a splendid way ... After suffering testicular cancer, the greatest gift in my life has been the ability to have children with Janine."
PARTING SHOT
An edited extract from Loner: Inside a Labor Tragedy, by Bernard Lagan, as the extract appears in this week's Bulletin magazine
"In the circumstances, things turned out quite well. People got to see a glimpse of how Carr, Beattie and Gallop are A-grade arseholes. All their provincial bluster and posturing made no difference to anything.
Never does.
The media had to sit in the heat and report a load of rubbish.
And Labor got the leader it truly deserves.
The old party has become a very conservative institution, run by conservative machine men (from all factions) so it is well suited to a conservative, stand-for-nothing type of leader.
I want to make clear that I was not sorry to leave the parliament behind. The more I saw of the inner workings of the ALP as leader, the more disillusioned I became with machine politics.
Unfortunately, the ALP has become a machine political party, with each little union and each state and territory having its own little power-brokers and machine representatives in federal caucus. I was the last of the federal leaders not to be beholden to these roosters.
It is not an organisation that I can be optimistic about. It's beyond repair, beyond reform.
That's sad for those Australians who see Labor as our best hope for social justice in this country. But I've got to be honest about it. It's false hope. I elaborate on these matters in my diary.
Basically, the way I see it, I had my shot at being prime minister. It didn't work on several fronts. But life goes on, potentially in a splendid way, spending so much time with the family. After suffering testicular cancer, the greatest gift in my life has been the ability to have children with Janine.
I would be a fool to waste it."
Latham on state premiers:
People got to see a glimpse of how Carr, Beattie and Gallop are A- grade arseholes. All their provincial bluster and posturing made no difference to anything.
On Labor and Kim Beazley:
The old party has become a very conservative institution run by conservative machine men (from all factions) so well suited to a conservative, stand-for-nothing type of leader.
Published at news.com.au under the heading More Bile from Mr Pancreatitis.
