The One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, has called on Mark Latham to apologise for comments about the sexuality of fellow state MP Alex Greenwich that left the New South Wales environment minister, Penny Sharpe, “physically sickened”.
Latham, the NSW One Nation leader, made the comments on Twitter on Thursday morning in response to an article in which Greenwich called Latham “a disgusting human being”. The article was about LGBTQ+ protesters being targeted outside an event Latham spoke at earlier this month.
In response, Latham said “disgusting?” and then went on to make gratuitous comments about a sexual act. Guardian Australia has chosen not to publish the full comment.
The comment was deleted within three hours but by then had already been seen by the gay independent MP it was aimed at, as well as being shared more widely.
Greenwich said that he did “not intend to engage with the matter further” after the tweet’s deletion.
“My focus in the parliament will be working with the majority of members who support the LGBTQ community to progress important reforms,” he said.
Late on Thursday afternoon, Hanson posted a video to social media decrying the comments and insisting Latham should apologise to voters.
“I want you to know that I don’t condone them [the comments] and neither do my members of parliament or party associates,” she said.
“I think they are disgusting.”
Hanson said she had tried to call the leader of the NSW branch of her party but could not get through.
“I’ve actually tried to ring Mark a couple of times, to no avail, and I have clearly sent a text message to him telling him my views and also I’ve asked him to give the people an apology,” she said.
“I will leave it at that. It is now over to Mark to answer the people.”
Others sprang to Greenwich’s defence with Sharpe saying she was shocked to see such language being used in 2023 and calling on Latham to apologise.
“I was physically sickened by that tweet,” she said.
“Homophobia is always unacceptable and there is never an excuse. Mr Latham should apologise to Alex Greenwich immediately.”
Latham, a former federal Labor leader, had served four years of his eight-year term as a state upper house MP but used a loophole at this year’s election that allowed him to resign and re-run at the top of the ticket in the hopes of increasing One Nation’s representation in the chamber.
At this stage, it appears he will be re-elected but the One Nation vote did not grow. The makeup of the upper house will be finalised next month.
Greens MP Jenny Leong said the comments showed why Latham should not be engaged with.
“The hateful homophobic and transphobic bile that spews from former Labor leader turned One Nation MP Mark Latham demonstrates why no political party or independent representative should engage with him,” she said.
“Being an elected representative doesn’t give him a free pass.
“The Greens are committed to working with all elected members of parliament across the political spectrum who show respect for equality and recognise that we all collectively play a role in stamping out discrimination in our communities – One Nation clearly doesn’t meet this baseline.”
It is just over a week since an LGBTQ+ rights group claimed they were attacked outside a Catholic church in south-west Sydney, where Latham was giving a speech.
Community Action for Rainbow Rights said on Twitter that as they were protesting outside St Michael’s church hall in Belfield, a mob set upon the protesters.
Since then LGBTQ+ rights advocates are calling for stronger legal protections after a series of attacks against Australia’s queer community.
Greenwich will seek to outlaw so-called gay conversion “therapy” in this term of parliament.
Last year an independent report into bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct in NSW parliament workplaces conducted by the former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick found bullying was a significant issue.
Latham has not responded to request for comment.
