Independent MP Alex Greenwich has announced he will recontest his seat of Sydney at the next New South Wales election.
The MP has told the Sydney Morning Herald that last year he had considered quitting public life altogether. While there was speculation he might run to replace Clover Moore as the next Lord Mayor of Sydney, Greenwich says he was considering roles outside of politics.
He’s now abandoned those plans and says he’s ready to “kick goals” and take on another term as the local member.
“This time last year I was preparing to leave public life after 20 years,” Greenwich said.
“Since then with the support of counselling, family, friends and colleagues, I’ve built back my confidence and my sense of purpose for my role has been reignited.” Greenwich told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Greenwich has served as the independent Member for Sydney in the New South Wales Parliament since 2012.
He entered Parliament at a by‑election caused by the resignation of former member Clover Moore, who endorsed Greenwich as her replacement. She resigned from the seat when new laws prevented someone from holding office at both levels of government.
Prior to entering Parliament, Alex Greenwich was a high‑profile lobbyist as the co‑chair of Marriage Equality Australia. During his time in Parliament he has been a fierce advocate for LGBTIQA+ rights and has also played a major role in bringing in voluntary assisted dying laws in New South Wales.
In 2024 he successfully won a defamation case against fellow MP Mark Latham over a series of social media posts. The ruling is currently being appealed.
Latham, a former national leader of the Labor Party, was at the time the NSW leader of One Nation. Legal battles between the two MPs have continued, with proceedings against Latham in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal over allegations of homosexual vilification and sexual harassment.
In an interview last year, Greenwich shared that the fallout from Latham’s posts had left him with post‑traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Greenwich cited the Bondi terrorist attack as one of the reasons he wants to continue on in politics, he also cited the rise in popularity of One Nation as a motivation.
“I had a moment at the memorial to victims of the Bondi antisemitic terrorist attack, where I looked at the faces in the crowd, and saw fear, and that people were scared, and I’ve never seen that before, and I hope I can play a role supporting the government to make people feel safe again.” he said.
The next New South Wales state election is scheduled for 13 March 2027.
