Okay, this is a serious question: Is there anyone in Australia who truly believes Mark Latham deserves his seat at the table? Even the staunchest supporters of division and dickheadery can’t think this guy is their best representative? He’s just such a… mess.
His latest transgression is perhaps his most repugnant yet, with the One Nation Senator posting an inexcusably graphic and homophobic tweet directed at NSW independent MP Alex Greenwich.
Without breathing life into a comment which frankly belongs in the bin fire of humanity, Latham, the NSW One Nation leader, posted it on Thursday morning in response to an article in which Greenwich called Latham “a disgusting human being”. The article focused on LGBTQ+ protesters being targeted outside an event Latham spoke at earlier this month.
Even One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson was left shocked at his comments, posting a video to social media and insisting Latham 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.”
“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.”
But is an apology enough? Really?
Of course, anyone with a shred of decency in their DNA would know the answer to that.
This is man who’s not just crossed many lines in his time in public life but swam channels across them. His sole MO is to create discord, and there is something fundamentally wrong with someone like that being in power.
At a time when we have more daunting and complex challenges on our doorstep than ever previously in history, don’t we deserve people leading with at least some motivation to change things for the better?
It is just ten days since an LGBTQ+ rights group was attacked by an angry and emboldened mob of protesters outside a Catholic church in south-west Sydney, where Latham was publicly speaking.
The incident has pushed many community advocates to call for stronger legal protections— something which Greenwich is active in as well.
In comments yesterday, Greenwich said he was not expecting an apology from Latham and that he planned not to engage with the matter further.
“We know that some people seek to target the LGBTQ community to get attention, I don’t intend to help them with that,” he said.
“When you’re in public office, and public life, as an openly, proud gay man, you’re going to get targeted.
“But I focus more on the majority of people across the state who love, support and celebrate the LGBTQ community.”
His resilience is remarkable, but it’s a sad reminder of what we’ve come to accept.
If we allow someone like Latham to carry forth without consequence what are we really saying?