In a sudden turn of events, Gareth Ward, a 44-year-old independent member of the New South Wales (NSW) parliament, stepped down just hours before a scheduled vote that would have expelled him due to his recent conviction for sexual assaults involving two young men. The decision to resign followed a legal battle he lost, aiming to halt his removal from parliament, which he claimed would undermine democratic principles. However, a court ruling dismissed his arguments, reinforcing the gravity of his criminal charges.
Ward was found guilty last month of sexually assaulting the two victims, aged 18 and 24, during incidents that occurred between 2013 and 2015. He is currently in custody awaiting sentencing. His resignation, formally submitted at 09:08 local time, means he will no longer receive a parliamentary salary and opens the door for a critical by-election in his south-coast NSW electorate that he has represented since 2011.
Before this conviction, Ward had already resigned from his position as a state government minister and left the Liberal Party in 2021 yet continued to serve in parliament. During his unsuccessful legal challenge, his lawyers argued fervently against his removal before completing the appeals process, framing it as an affront to democracy—a position refuted by NSW Premier Chris Minns who stated that anyone convicted of such serious charges cannot effectively represent their constituents from prison.
The opposition leader, Mark Speakman, condemned Ward’s last-minute legal tactics as “disgraceful,” asserting that such actions dishonor both the public and parliamentary integrity. As Ward prepares to appeal the guilty verdict, the implications of his conviction continue to ripple through the political landscape of Australia.
