Gareth Ward, a 44-year-old Australian politician, has officially resigned from parliament after losing a legal battle to prevent his expulsion. Ward, who was convicted last month for sexually assaulting two young men aged 18 and 24 between 2013 and 2015, is currently in custody awaiting sentencing. Earlier this week, he sought to block the New South Wales (NSW) parliament from terminating his position, arguing that such an action would undermine democracy. However, the court dismissed his claims, ruling that the expulsion did not violate democratic principles.
His resignation came just hours before a scheduled vote to remove him from his role as the independent member for Kiama, a position he has held since 2011. Ward's letter of resignation was submitted at 09:08 local time on Friday, just over an hour before parliament was set to vote. With his exit now confirmed, Ward will no longer receive his parliamentary salary.
Ward has faced scrutiny since the allegations first surfaced, leading to his resignation as a state government minister in 2021 and departure from the Liberal Party, yet he remained in parliament and was re-elected in 2023. During his legal attempts to stay in office, Ward's lawyers contended that he deserved to serve until all appeal processes were complete, but this was met with strong opposition.
NSW Premier Chris Minns criticized Ward's lengthy tenure following his conviction, stating, "If you are convicted of some of the most serious charges - sexual assault in NSW - you can't sit as a serving member of parliament drawing a parliamentary salary." Opposition leader Mark Speakman echoed this sentiment, calling Ward's legal maneuvering "disgraceful" and accusing him of undermining public trust. Ward has announced plans to appeal his guilty verdict, with sentencing scheduled for next month.
