NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman says he will continue to work with Mark Latham despite homophobic tweet

The NSW Opposition Leader says he will continue working with Mark Latham, who is in hot water over a homophobic tweet.

The NSW Opposition says it will continue to work with NSW One Nation Leader Mark Latham, who is facing a police investigation and potential defamation case over a crude and homophobic tweet directed at Sydney MP Alex Greenwich.

On Monday, Mr Greenwich said “enough was enough” and gave Mr Latham a deadline of May 17 to issue a public apology or his lawyers would lodge a defamation case in the Federal Court.

The furore is over a tweet shared on March 30 in which Mr Latham graphically described a sex act. He was also condemned by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson.

Mr Greenwich, an openly gay MP, has also made a complaint of homosexual vilification to the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW, plus a police complaint against Mr Latham for using a carriage service to menace/harass/offend.

Alex Greenwich has lodged a complaint with the police and the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW over Mark Latham’s tweet. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

Mark Latham has also been given a deadline of May 17 to apologise for his tweet. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Christian Gilles

Although Mr Speakman denounced Mr Latham’s comments and said he should “show some courage and apologise”, he said his party would continue to work with every elected member of parliament.

“If we chose not to work with people we vigorously disagree with there may be very few people left at times to work within the parliament,” Mr Speakman said on Tuesday.

“I can’t be any clearer. His comments are reprehensible. They are appalling. They’re not fitting for a member of parliament.

“But he has been elected just like every other MP and we will work with every MP who has been elected.”

While Mr Speakman said he had not spoken to Mr Latham, and hadn’t done so this year, he said it was in the “best interest” for the people of NSW for elected officials to work together.

Opposition Leader Mark Speakman called on Mr Latham to ‘show some courage and apologise’. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Jeremy Piper

NSW Premier Chris Minns has vowed that his government would not collaborate with Mr Latham, whom he previously labelled a “bigot”.

On Monday, Mr Greenwich said the upper house councillor’s tweet “crossed a line”.

“I am used to robust and at times aggressive attacks, what Mr Latham has said has crossed a line, a line I’m not prepared to put up with,” he said.

“This is about Mr Latham crossing a line of defamation, of vilification and the use of his platform, including Twitter to humiliate.”

He also called on the opposition to follow Mr Minns’ lead and “really make it clear that they’re not going to be doing deals with someone who uses their platform to vilify and demean myself or other people”.