Flanked by his wife, Janine Lacy, and two young sons — Oliver, 3, and Isaac, who turns 1 on Saturday — an emotional Mr [Mark Latham] used his press conference to discuss the transforming effect of parenthood.

“We’re very proud of him,” was all the former public relations executive and mother-of-two would say publicly, in echo of his mother Lorraine. Yet Ms Lacy is no stranger to politics. From 1996, she was an electorate officer to former Perth Liberal MP Ricky Johnston, although she did not join the Liberal Party.

Ms Lacy, who married Mr Latham in 2000, has juggled parenthood with law studies, finishing her degree at the University of Western Sydney two weeks ago. A talented student, she won two prizes for administrative law in 2001.

IT was Mark Latham, Family Man, who claimed the Labor leadership yesterday, usurping his other identities — Headkicker, Policy Wonk and Florid Debater.

Flanked by his wife, Janine Lacy, and two young sons — Oliver, 3, and Isaac, who turns 1 on Saturday — an emotional Mr Latham used his press conference to discuss the transforming effect of parenthood.

“Fatherhood for me has been the great experience that you can have — to really know the love of being a parent.

“And if my little boys look back on this … and think, `Well, that’s my dad and we’re proud of him’, that’ll do me.”

A canny politician who appreciates the power of an image, Mr Latham played up the contrast between himself and John Howard — who, at 64, is 22 years older than his new Labor opponent. The Liberal leader’s three children are all adults.

Bringing out his young family was also Mr Latham’s way of trying to build kinship with the aspirational young families whose votes he hopes to woo. And his ability to have children was something of a miracle — after a bout with testicular cancer in the mid-1990s, he had one testicle removed surgically.

But anyone expecting to learn a little more about Labor’s new first lady yesterday would have left disappointed. Dressed in a chic charcoal pants suit with silver jewellery, Ms Lacy, 32, was content to leave most of the talking to her husband.

“We’re very proud of him,” was all the former public relations executive and mother-of-two would say publicly, in echo of his mother Lorraine. Yet Ms Lacy is no stranger to politics. From 1996, she was an electorate officer to former Perth Liberal MP Ricky Johnston, although she did not join the Liberal Party.

“She was always very politically astute but not partisan,” recalled a Coalition staffer friend yesterday.

“She’s a very nice girl — very friendly, open and funny as well – – I couldn’t say a negative thing about her.”

Ms Lacy, who married Mr Latham in 2000, has juggled parenthood with law studies, finishing her degree at the University of Western Sydney two weeks ago. A talented student, she won two prizes for administrative law in 2001.

Mr Latham’s first wife Gabrielle Gwyther — who has remarried and has a young son — expressed hurt yesterday that the new Labor leader had not acknowledged the contribution she had made to his career.

“He has had all day to thank me for the 12 years of hard labour and financial support, because I did support him in his early career,” she said.