Latham Fights for Right to Repeat ‘Disgusting’ MP Claim
Mark Latham contests court order preventing him from repeating claims against MP Alex Greenwich, citing political debate rights
Mark Latham, Alex Greenwich, Sydney, Australia, LGBTQI
Sydney: So, Mark Latham is really going after this court order that says he can’t repeat some pretty nasty stuff about MP Alex Greenwich. He’s claiming it messes with his right to have a proper political debate.
This all kicked off when the Federal Court told Latham to cough up $140,000 to Greenwich after a tweet he sent during the last state election. It was a heated back-and-forth, and things got ugly.
The tweet led to a lot of backlash against Greenwich, who’s openly gay and a strong supporter of the LGBTQI community. It’s been a rough ride for him.
In court recently, both sides were back at it. Latham’s team argued that stopping him from making those comments would be a violation of his rights. His lawyer, Guy Reynolds, was pretty clear that it’s about political discussion.
But the judge, Justice O’Callaghan, pointed out that Latham can say whatever he wants about Greenwich, just not the specific stuff from that tweet. Reynolds pushed back, saying that shouldn’t be a restriction.
Then there’s Matt Collins, representing Greenwich, who warned that Latham might just repeat those nasty comments again. He stressed that if it happens, it could lead to more abuse directed at Greenwich, and that wouldn’t be fair.
Latham’s been appealing the court’s decision and the damages, even switching up his legal team because he felt they didn’t have his back during the trial.
Reynolds even suggested that Greenwich should clarify what he does in his private life, which is a bit of a stretch, right? It’s all getting pretty messy.
Collins is also asking the court to make Latham cover Greenwich’s legal costs, saying he could’ve settled this ages ago but turned down a $20,000 offer that included an apology.
Reynolds, on the other hand, is questioning whether Greenwich really needs to pay his lawyers a whopping $541,000. It’s a lot of back and forth, and the judge hasn’t made a final call yet.
For now, Latham’s been ordered to pay over $7,000 in interest to Greenwich, and they’ll have to come back for another hearing to sort out the costs. It’s definitely a saga to keep an eye on!