Goodbye, Mr Latham

I'm too lost for words at the moment. Gutted. I always felt you had been brought out a little too early. Had Crean not been the weak leader he was, and was able to hold his position, he would have led Labor to an even more demoralising loss at the last election, and you would have been touted for leader right about now. You would have had more time to hone your image. You would have gotten away with some of the things you said that rubbed people the wrong way. You would have had time to recuperate from your illness without the knives in your back. You would have had three full years of positive media attention, instead of one. There might have been the chance of you facing Costello in 3 years. You might have been Prime Minister in within three years. And held it for another ten. Twenty, Bob Ellis would've said.

But it didn't happen that way.

And with all the headlines out now, we expected you would be replaced, but we knew it wouldn't have lasted for long. We knew you would be back in time for the next election.

But it won't happen that way.

It can't happen that way.

You've left.

Goodbye Mr Latham.

Get well soon.

Sorry to see you go.