Gareth Ward Resigns from Parliament Following Rape Conviction

Gareth Ward's resignation triggers a by-election following his conviction for sexual assault, raising questions about representation in politics.

Gareth Ward, a 44-year-old Australian politician, has officially resigned from parliament just ahead of an impending expulsion vote after losing his legal challenge to remain in office. The decision comes on the heels of his recent conviction for sexually assaulting two young men aged 18 and 24, incidents that occurred between 2013 and 2015. Ward is currently in custody and awaits sentencing, scheduled for next month.

Earlier this week, Ward attempted to halt his impending expulsion from the New South Wales (NSW) parliament through a legal maneuver. However, on Thursday, the court dismissed his case, ruling against his claims that the parliament's actions would undermine democratic principles. In a dramatic turn of events, he stepped down on Friday morning, mere hours before the scheduled parliamentary vote to remove him as the representative for Kiama, a seat he has held since 2011.

The resignation letter was officially logged by parliament at 09:08 local time, just over an hour before the vote was set for 10:30. This development means Ward will not receive a salary as a member of parliament any longer and paves the way for a by-election in the south-coast NSW electorate.

Ward had previously left his position as a state government minister and also departed from the Liberal Party in 2021 but managed to retain his parliamentary seat after winning re-election in 2023. During the course of his legal challenges, Ward’s attorneys argued that removing him from parliament prior to the conclusion of any appeals would be unacceptable and detrimental to representative democracy.

NSW Premier Chris Minns weighed in on the resignation, expressing that it should have occurred much sooner. He stated, "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. How can you represent your community from behind bars?" In a similar vein, Opposition leader Mark Speakman condemned Ward’s legal attempts to remain in power as "disgraceful," accusing him of manipulating the situation to the detriment of both the public and the parliamentary process. Ward has indicated plans to appeal his conviction.