Sydney MP Alex Greenwich sues Mark Latham for allegedly suggesting he ‘goes to schools to groom children’
Sydney MP Alex Greenwich has made two defamation claims against One Nation leader Mark Latham after a vile tweet.
Newly released court documents reveal independent MP Alex Greenwich is suing NSW One Nation leader Mark Latham for purportedly painting him as someone who “goes to schools to groom children to become homosexual”.
Conservatives and progressives both responded with fierce disapproval to a graphic and homophobic tweet shared to Mr Latham’s social media on March 30 in which he claimed Mr Greenwich engaged in “disgusting” sexual activities.
Mr Latham deleted the tweet after a public uproar and demands for an apology.
Mr Greenwich offered Mr Latham a chance to settle the matter outside of court along with a firm deadline for an apology, to which Mr Latham refused.
The Federal Court released documents from the defamation proceedings launched last month by Mr Greenwich's lawyers at Dowson Turco Lawyers, a firm that describes itself as “out, loud and proud LGBTIQ+”.
Mr Greenwich is also suing Mr Latham over comments made to The Daily Telegraph just two days after the tweet in which the One Nation leader doubled down on his comments.
Mr Greenwich alleges one of the comments conveys the defamatory meaning that he “is a disgusting human being who goes to schools to groom children to become homosexual”.
The quote in question from Mr Latham is: “When (Greenwich) calls someone a disgusting human being for attending a meeting in a church hall, maybe attention will turn to some of his habits.
“Greenwich goes into schools talking to kids about being gay. I didn’t want to be accused of anything similar, leaving that kind of content on my socials.”
In the quotes, Mr Latham claims that his tweet was a response to comments made by Mr Greenwich in The Sydney Morning Herald in which he called Mr Latham a “disgusting human being”.
Mr Latham is expected to file a defence by July 28.
Mr Greenwich has made a formal complaint to NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb, alleging Mr Latham used a carriage service to “menace, harass or cause offence”.
He has also lodged a complaint of homosexual vilification with Anti-Discrimination NSW.
Federal Court Justice Anna Katzmann deferred the matter to a case management hearing, which is expected to take place on September 25.
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