Australian Labor leader Latham quits politics for normal life

Mark Latham

CANBERRA - Federal Opposition Labor Leader Mark Latham today quit politics, saying he wanted to look after his health and pursue a normal life with his family.

Mr Latham's announcement ended weeks of speculation and cleared the way for Kim Beazley and Kevin Rudd to battle it out for the federal Labor leadership.

The 43-year-old, who has been suffering from a recurrence of pancreatitis, resigned following criticism of his silence over the Asian tsunami disaster and his attempt to keep his illness secret.

Senior Labor figures, including three state premiers, had called for him to resolve the leadership issue by the end of this week.

Mr Latham said while he had planned to reassess his future at the end of his annual leave on Australia Day, the ongoing speculation was damaging the party and needed to be dealt with.

"In recent days, I have been able to get away to rest and recover and talk to my family about our priorities for the future," he said in a statement he read to waiting media in Sydney.

"Our conclusion is that I should look after my health and pursue a normal life outside of politics. Therefore I have decided to resign both as Labor leader and member for Werriwa."

Mr Latham, the father of two young boys, thanked his Labor colleagues and voters but said he had been disappointed with the press coverage of his illness, with the media camped outside his south-west Sydney home.

Mr Latham said he had been battling to overcome pancreatitis but said the painful and unpredictable condition was incompatible with the demands and stresses of parliamentary life.

He defended his attempt to keep his illness secret, blaming the media frenzy surrounding his first bout.

"When I was hospitalised in August, for instance, the media frenzy was over the top, with photographers shooting through my hospital window," he said.

"Accordingly, I have done everything I could to keep subsequent episodes as private as possible."

He said the media had been harassing people in his street since his latest bout became public, forcing his neighbours to call the police on several occasions.

"Obviously this situation cannot continue," he said.

"Public office can take it out of people and, after 17 years and two serious life-threatening illnesses, the time has come to put my family and my health first.

"While it is important to try to help people through community involvement, this should not be at the expense of loved ones.

"I am exceptionally fortunate to have a fantastic family, especially my beautiful wife and two little boys.

"I would be crazy to put this at risk. In politics everyone talks about family values. I would like to practise them in a normal way."

Mr Latham thanked the Labor Party for giving him the opportunity to lead it to the last election and said he hoped his colleagues would be able to win future elections.

He said he was proud of his achievements in opposition throughout 2004, including changes to parliamentary superannuation, amendments to the US free trade agreement and putting early childhood development on the national agenda.

"I did my best to lead a genuinely progressive Australian Labor Party," he said.

He thanked the people of Werriwa for supporting him since 1994, local party members and his staff.

"I again thank the Labor supporters and members who backed our cause in the last campaign and gave me encouragement as Labor leader. Thank you all very much," Mr Latham said, before walking off without answering questions.

- AAP