Gareth Ward, the New South Wales MP for Kiama who was convicted of rape, is expected to be expelled from parliament on Friday after failing in a last-minute legal bid to block the move.
The court of appeal dismissed Ward's application for an injunction against the leader of the Legislative Assembly, Ron Hoenig, on Thursday. Chief Justice Andrew Bell ruled that the notice of intention to appeal against Ward's convictions did not affect the assembly's power to expel him.
Both the Minns Labor government and the opposition have indicated they will support the expulsion motion when it is moved on Friday. Ward, who remains in custody pending sentencing in September, was found guilty in July of sexually abusing two young men in 2013 and 2015.
Ward's lawyer had argued the expulsion was punitive, claiming it would trigger a by-election and further punish his client. The court rejected that argument, stating there was no evidence the resolution was punitive in scope. The only remaining option for Ward is an appeal to the High Court.
