Mark Latham

Mark Latham grew up in Green Valley, near Liverpool, attending Ashcroft Public School and Hurlstone Agricultural High School (Dux 1978). He completed a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) at Sydney University in 1982.

Mark joined the ALP in 1979 and has held numerous Party positions.

Prior to entering Parliament, Mark was a political adviser, working for the Hon Gough Whitlam (1982-87 and 1993), the Australian Labor Party, NSW Branch (1987-88), Bob Carr (1988-91), and John Kerin (1980-82 and 1993).

He served as a Councillor on Liverpool Council between 1987 and 1994 and was the first popularly elected Mayor of Liverpool, serving from 1991 to 1994. Between 1991 and 1992, he also served as Chair of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC).

He was elected Member for Werriwa at a by-election on 29 January 1994. He was re-elected Member for Werriwa at the general elections on 2 March 1996, 3 October 1998 and 10 November 2001.

Mark Latham was a member of the ALP Shadow Ministry between March 1996 and October 1998, serving in the Assistant Shadow Treasurer, Local Government and Education portfolios. In July 2003 Mark was promoted from Shadow Minister for Economic Ownership, Housing, Urban Development and Community Security to Shadow Treasurer. He was also Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives. In December 2003 Mark became Federal Labor Leader.

Mark Latham has contributed to numerous journals and newspapers and is the author of Reviving Labor’s Agenda (Pluto Press 1990), Civilising Global Capital (Allen and Unwin, 1998), What Did You Learn Today? (Allen and Unwin, 2001) and From The Suburbs (forthcoming 2003). He is also a co-author of Social Capital (CIS, 1998), and The Enabling State (Pluto Press, 2001).

Mark is married to Janine Lacy and they have two sons, Oliver and Isaac. They live in Campbelltown.