Shadow Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, has clashed angrily with Federal Opposition Leader, Mark Latham, at what was supposed to be a peace making Shadow Cabvarchar(15) meeting.

Senator Conroy, who has only been in the Communications’ role for a month, had been expected to express his regret to Latham and Shadow Cabvarchar(15) over destabilising media leaks about party disunity, after issuing a statement on Sunday.

Conroy – Labor’s Deputy Senate Leader – apparently told the meeting he had nothing to apologise for and denied responsibility for the leaks.

The situation reportedly ended up in an argument between the two, which was resolved eventually at a separate meeting of the leadership team – Latham, Deputy Leader, Jenny Macklin, Conroy and Opposition Senate Leader, Chris Evans.

One ALP figure has described the situation as “…embarrassing … people were hanging their heads.”

Spokespeople for Latham say it was not a stoush: “That’s not the case and, as far as we’re concerned, the matter has been resolved.”

Before the meeting, Latham said: “We’re going to improve and the fact that Senator Conroy issued that statement yesterday is a big step in the right direction and a sign that Labor’s getting its act together.

“I think part of leadership is to confront problems and deal with them as they arise, not to let them run.”