New South Wales independent MP Alex Greenwich has told a tribunal that former federal Labor leader Mark Latham has an 'abusive obsession' with him, exposing him to ongoing hatred and ridicule. The case, heard at the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal on Tuesday, relates to a sexually explicit tweet and subsequent media appearances by Latham, who now sits as an independent in the state parliament.
Greenwich, who is openly gay, said the tweet sought to define him as a 'disgusting sexual act' and a threat to children. 'I have never been so diminished, demeaned, dehumanised by someone,' he told the tribunal. 'This was the first time in my political career I'd been so fundamentally attacked for who I am and my sexuality.' He added that his electorate office had been 'inundated' with abuse following the tweet and Latham's interviews.
Latham repeatedly interjected from the public gallery, prompting a sharp warning from senior tribunal member Mandy Tibbey. At one point, he complained about 'another whinge-athon from the European prince', a reference to Greenwich's links to Georgian nobility. Greenwich is suing Latham for homosexual vilification and workplace harassment, having already received $140,000 in damages in a federal court suit over the same tweet in 2024.
The tweet was sent days after the 2023 state election, in response to a post quoting Greenwich describing Latham as a 'disgusting human being'. The online exchange followed violent protests outside a church in Sydney's south-west, where Latham was giving a pre-election speech. About 250 mostly male counter-protesters attacked police and 15 LGBTQI protesters at the scene.
Greenwich's lawyer, Prue Bindon, argued that recent tweets from Latham had subjected her client to 'further hatred and ridicule from members of the public'. Latham, who has been involved in several scandals including taking photos of women MPs without their knowledge, live-tweeted the hearing, defending his postings as true and arguing that no court should restrict an MP's freedom of speech.
