Didn't Latham label Peter Beattie an 'A-grade arsehole'? Seemed like a fairly apt description to me. In fact, it could be applied to every current state Labor premier with the possible exception of Mike Rann. They really are an incorrigible bunch of cynical opportunists and third-rate apparatchiks.

I believe that he did say that of Beattie, but I couldn't find that in his diaries.

This is what Latham wrote of Beattie in his diary:

http://candobetter.org/about#fn2
"We wanted to include Kyoto in the agreement by setting up a National carbon-trading system, but Beattie refused to co-operate, so it had to be dropped. He's super-sensitive about the coal industry, but it's crazy in terms of Queensland's long-term interests. Global warming is killing the Great Barrier Reef, the State's main economic and environmental resource, and Beattie won't support Kyoto to do something about it. He's the only person I know who wrote his autobiography, In the Arena, before getting into Parliament - he must think he's Teddy Roosevelt. Now, he's rough-riding over the Reef, watching it die because of coral bleaching." - from The Latham Diaries, 2005, p318.

Clearly Beeattie and Howard are as one on the question of fossil fuel exports. This makes it hard for me to accept that the current apparent dispute between Howard and Beattie is not being staged for the benefit of the voting public.

I just can not understand why we need to refer to that long gone idiot Mark Latham.
It is quite true that driven into the roll with the help of another total loss he showed himself to be a waste of the air he breathed.
That other air thief was Simon Creon.
If both took a high anti ALP profile[ it is my view they only have to speak on any subject to do so]
John Howard still faces reality on election night.
His lies his deliberate dividing this country, a host of shameful issues like Mark Vailes failure to remember on about 40 times during the AWB inquiry.
Howard's failures massively out weight others election night will prove my point and place Australia in safe hands at last.

Belly,

When people are willing to dismiss Mark Latham as "that long gone idiot", but invariably fail to discuss what he actually wrote and said, including in "The Latham Diaries", I become suspicious.

In fact, Latham has not been universally condemned. Former Labor Minister and University lecturer Doctor Neil Blewett described the Latham Diaries as the best account by a political leader he has read.

No one has attempted to refute Latham's accounts of how three Labor state premiers, that is Paul Lennon of Tasmania, Steve Bracks of Victoria and Bob Carr of New south Wales, acted in ways that appeared to be designed to destroy Federal Labor's chances in 2004.

Peter Beattie appears bent today on doing what they did back then, so I think it is all very relevant.

Whilst Mark Latham appears to have had some personal flaws, as have many great political leaders, I think it also true that his motivations were the best. I think he was one of the rare leaders of either major party who was not going to allow himself to be bent to suit the interests of Australia's wealthy elite, and that is why he was treated so harshly and that is why he was undermined even from within the Federal Labor Party.

It seems that many Labor power-brokers judged that three more years of Howard was preferable to having Latham as Prime Minister. From their own selfish perspective they almost certainly judged correctly, because his intention was to use his influence to clean up the corrupt empires within the Labor Party once he achieved office of Prime Minister.

For my own part, I was critical of Latham for his infatuation with neo-liberal 'free market' economics. I even had two letters printed in newspapers which were critical of him.

However, I think, in all likelihood, his 'free market' ideology would have been scrapped by Latham as he would have came to grips with managing the Australian economy.

Achtung Minen! (Humour Warning to those it may concern.)

Gold! Gold! Gold!

So many targets, so little time to shoot them in! What have you done, daggett, kissed the Blarney Stone? Getting these topics up in the General Discussion area of the Forum is positively brilliant. There is just so much that requires development that multiple posts are all but essential, as you yourself are finding. At least that is more possible in this area. Top tactics! You seem to have cast a spell, in a manner of speaking, over the discussion in this thread. Study of the 14th post will reveal where you cast it.

I bequeath unto you the "Bee-Attie-Tudes".

Blessed are they who strive to attain to the imitation of Sir Joh, for they shall be loved and applauded by the general public. (For Sir Joh was a truly great man, and iniquity was far from him, though liberally round about.)

Blessed are they who obey the Routine Orders of Prince Rupert of the Whine, for they shall be spoken well of by the mainstream media.

Blessed are they who take the water of life from regional cities, and cause it to run to the Great City, and the developers thereof, for they shall profit greatly thereby.

Blessed are they who promise referenda on the water of life, and then withhold, for truly they show and magnify the power of the Fat Controllers and the first among the Elect over the people.

Blessed are they who shall sack and amalgamate the cities and towns who run to referenda to save their lives; hypocrisy shall be far from them.

Blessed are they who make common cause with the Fat Controllers and gaol their political opponents. For the Fat Controllers have in their charge the Book of Names, wherein are written all, and perhaps more than all, the Names that have a right to be recorded as praising those who are of the Elect. And Verily, those who have best made such common cause shall be of the pre-eminent rank in the Kingdom of Oz.

Amen, Forrest Gump.