Posted on 01/19/2006 12:15:39 PM PST by naturalman1975
A YEAR after he left the Labor leadership, Mark Latham was back in strife yesterday.
In a classic Latham snap, the disgraced former MP with a history of violence threw a punch at a news photographer and stole his camera.
Sydney's Daily Telegraph was preparing a story to mark the first anniversary of Mr Latham's political demise when he attacked photographer Ross Schultz.
Stunned shoppers in the Sydney suburb of Campbelltown looked on as Mr Latham emerged in a fury from a Hungry Jacks restaurant, where he was munching on hamburgers with his young sons, Oliver and Isaac.
Schultz, who was waiting for Mr Latham to emerge but did not enter the restaurant, said the enraged former leader began screaming obscenities and ripped the camera from his shoulder.
"He took the camera and began walking to his car," Schultz said. "I politely asked him to return it. He placed it on the bonnet and then turned around and threw a left hook at me. I evaded it easily but he wanted to go toe to toe. I just kept telling him to calm down . . . but he was off his head."
Aaron Dredge was looking out the window of a nearby beauty salon when he saw a "big fella" throwing punches.
"I'm not a political person at all so I didn't recognise him until the photographer told me afterwards who he was," Mr Dredge said. "The photographer was trying to talk to him but he turned away and threw a punch. Latham just went mental."
As of last night, Mr Latham had not returned the camera, which he took back to his Glen Alpine home.
One of the few people still in contact with him, literary agent Mary Cunnane, last night declined to comment on the incident until she had finished talks with the Daily Telegraph's lawyers.
"I have no real knowledge of the state of the camera at this point. We have no further comment at this time," Ms Cunnane said.
Since leaving politics last January, Mr Latham has been guaranteed a parliamentary pension of up to $75,000 a year for life.
In an appearance at a bookstore last month to spruik his Latham Diaries, Mr Latham gave a lecture on how to fix society's problems.
"If you are interested in a good society, maybe you are better off doing things on your own level," he told the audience.
Wow..
""I have no real knowledge of the state of the camera at this point. We have no further comment at this time," Ms Cunnane said."
Well call the cops have him arrested for THEFT!
Seems simple enough for me.
boy did you guys dodge a bullet.
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