NSW: Latham book to stir up controversy

AAP General News (Australia)
02-12-2001
NSW: Latham book to stir up controversy

By Jane Wardell

SYDNEY, Feb 12 AAP - Outspoken federal Labor backbencher Mark Latham is again stirring
up controversy within his own party with the launch of a book which could embarrass leader
Kim Beazley.

Mr Latham's book on education policies proposes several radical ideas and criticises
the Labor Party for supporting a flawed system of government funding.

The book, What Did You Learn Tod@y? (Tod@y) is likely to cast a shadow over Mr Beazley's
attempts to talk up his plans for Australia as a `knowledge nation'.

Even the official book launcher and staunch supporter of Mr Latham's right to free
speech, New South Wales Premier Bob Carr, acknowledged it possibly did not come at the
best time for the party.

"Perhaps this book wasn't timely in an election year, I fully appreciate that," Mr
Carr said at the official launch here today.

But Mr Carr, who professed not to agree with everything in the book, also said the
ALP did not shy away from new ideas.

"I welcome the debate opened up by Mark Latham in a readable, biting... book which
challenges us to nothing less than an education revolution," he said.

"The ALP never shrinks from the ideas or the impertinence of its brasher members.

"After all, the brashest of the lot came within one vote of expulsion in 1966 and went
on to become one of the nation's greatest prime ministers."

That brash young man of 1966, Gough Whitlam, was also a guest at today's launch.

The book is sharply critical of both sides of government, offering insights such as
"higher education has become a race to the bottom, with declining standards and financial
difficulties on every front."

It proposes lifelong education funded through superannuation schemes and attacks the
Liberal Party for supporting "market forces" in education when in fact the market is unresponsive
to change.

It also tells it as it is when it comes to pandering to the media.

"Electoral politics puts a greater emphasis on short-term problems than long term solutions,"

Mr Latham writes.

"When this happens, education is shuffled down the list of funding priorities."

But Mr Latham today said he simply wanted to inspire debate on the issue and he was
supportive of Mr Beazley's attempts to make education a priority.

"If I can lay claim to one achievement in my time in Canberra it is to try and lift
education to the top of our political agenda and make it the number one issue for social
democrats in this country," he said.

"I think it is a great thing that we enter this election year with Kim's concept of
a knowledge nation and our determination as a party to ensure that every Australian has
decent educational opportunities."

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KEYWORD: LATHAM BOOK

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