122. I recall one of the police officers advised that he would contact my office and organise a time for police to attend my office and provide staff new guidance on opening letters. I was not present for the demonstration. I believe this did occur because my staff advised me that it did occur.
Since publication of the Primary Tweet, the DT Quotes, and since I have experienced the public reaction to those publications, I have, for the first time in public life, found myself craving anonymity.
This has caused me to question my ability to continue in my political role for the first time in my career. I feel a lot of guilt that the publication of the Primary Tweet, the DT Quotes and the public reaction to those publications have impacted my family, especially my husband, Vic.
I feel for the first time in public life that I am threatened, and those around me are being impacted by something I cannot control, my sexuality, and those who do not like homosexual people.
88 He also gave the following evidence about his political future.
I believe that my ability to perform my political role, and my ability to be a confident and impactful policy maker in the NSW Parliament and for the LGBTQ+ community has been compromised as a consequence of the publication of the Primary Tweet, the DT Quotes and the public reaction. The personal, grotesque and hateful nature of Mr Latham's attacks against me in the Primary Tweet and the DT Quotes, and the attacks made by members of the public following Mr Latham's attacks, have made me feel emotionally, mentally, and physically unsafe in my role as a politician.
My role as a politician gives me a sense of purpose and public service. Despite the importance of those matters to me, I have to now consider whether or not to continue in my political and public role as a direct result of the harm and hatred I have been subjected to as a result of Mr Latham's publication of the Primary Tweet and DT Quotes.
Other witnesses for Mr Greenwich about the impact of the publications
89 What follows is a summary of the unchallenged evidence of the other witnesses, led by Mr Greenwich on the question of the impact of the publications on him.
Mr Graham
90 Mr Graham is Mr Greenwich's Senior Electorate Officer. He gave evidence that before the publication of the primary tweet and DT Quotes, he had not experienced receiving so many hateful and threatening communications directed to Mr Greenwich, and the tone of the communications post-publication was worse. He also deposed that the public reaction to the publication of the matters complained of was so threatening that it necessitated the intervention of NSW Police and the implementation of a procedure to handle suspicious mail. It also resulted in access to the Electorate Office being closed down from time to time, including for a week in early April 2023.
