Convicted rapist Gareth Ward has resigned as a New South Wales MP just moments before the state’s parliament was due to expel him. The resignation automatically vacates his south coast seat, meaning a byelection will be held. Ward held the seat for the Liberal party from 2011 until he left the party, subsequently running as an independent.
Ward was found guilty in July of sexually abusing two young men in 2013 and 2015. He is appealing against the convictions, which include three counts of indecent assault and one for sexual intercourse without consent, and is due to be sentenced next month. The resignation marks the end of a difficult chapter for the NSW parliament, which began in 2021 when Ward left the Liberal party after identifying himself as the state MP under investigation by the child abuse and sex crimes squad.
When charges were laid in March 2022, the then NSW premier Dominic Perrottet called for his resignation. Ward was suspended later that month after a motion unanimously passed the Legislative Assembly, and in August 2022 he was committed to stand trial. However, voters in Kiama re-elected him in March 2023, and he returned to Macquarie Street as an independent.
Ward sought an ex parte injunction on Monday night to prevent parliament from expelling him, but the court of appeal lifted the injunction on Thursday, clearing the way for parliament to force him out on Friday. That was scheduled to occur at 10.30am with the support of both Labor and the opposition, but Ward resigned by letter at about 9am on Friday.
The leader of the house, Ron Hoenig, said he was withdrawing the motion to expel Ward, adding, “It is regrettable that this house has been put through this difficulty. But better late than never.” Premier Chris Minns stated that “we believe this resignation should have come earlier,” and said the government would seek to recover costs for the supreme court action from Ward. Opposition leader Mark Speakman strongly criticised Ward’s “five minutes to midnight” resignation, calling it disgraceful.
