Fed: Latham reveals he had a difficult marriage break up

AAP General News (Australia)
12-04-2003
Fed: Latham reveals he had a difficult marriage break up

CANBERRA, Dec 4 AAP - New Labor Leader Mark Latham today thanked his first wife for
her support during their marriage and revealed he had been through a difficult break-up.

Gabrielle Gwyther told newspapers she realised too late she had married a hard and
demanding man who was difficult to live with.

She said she was devastated by her marriage break up and had spent years supporting
her first husband's early political career only for him to climb over her on his way to
the top job.

However, he today thanked her for her support.

"No one has ever been through an easy marriage break up but Gabrielle was a wonderful
supporter to my political career, that's true and I thank her for that," Mr Latham told
Brisbane radio 4BC.

"I've always been thankful for that.

"But like everything else, your work is not your personal life.

"Our marriage broke up in 1997 but we move on.

"She's remarried with a child, I've remarried with children and that's the future."

Mr Latham said he was not too troubled by the media chasing his former wife because
he realised if he wanted to serve in public life he had to expect media coverage.

But he said he was concerned when he learned a media crew had entered his mother's home.

"That worried me because she lives alone and the fella has knocked on the door and
said, `We're journalists'," Mr Latham said.

"I said to mum; `How did you know they were journalists, you let them in your house?'"

He said he felt like he had been living on The Truman Show, since he announced on Saturday
he would challenge Kim Beazley for the role of Labor leader.

The Truman Show was a film about a man who lived his whole life being filmed for a
reality TV show.

But Mr Latham said he was not surprised by the attention.

"If you want to serve in public life you've got to expect media coverage and the media
in most cases are doing their job and I think the coverage and the way they've handled
it is good," Mr Latham said.

"Obviously from time to time people want to go a step further.

"I have no big angst about that.

"I just see it as one of the aspects of having a public life."

AAP sm/sb/rcg/jlw

KEYWORD: LATHAM MARRIAGE

2003 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.