An Australian politician and convicted rapist, Gareth Ward, has officially resigned from parliament just moments before facing an expulsion vote, following the dismissal of his legal challenge. Ward, aged 44, was recently convicted for sexually assaulting two young men, aged 18 and 24, between 2013 and 2015, and is currently awaiting sentencing.
Earlier this week, Ward attempted to halt his expulsion from the New South Wales (NSW) parliament through legal means; however, a court dismissed his arguments, asserting that expelling him was not an infringement upon democratic principles. In a surprising turn of events, Ward announced his resignation as the independent member for Kiama less than two hours before the scheduled vote aimed at removing him.
The resignation, officially submitted at 09:08 local time (00:08 GMT) on Friday, means Ward will no longer receive parliamentary remuneration and opens the door for a by-election in the NSW electorate he has represented since 2011. After leaving the Liberal Party in 2021 amidst allegations, Ward was re-elected in 2023 but had already stepped down from his position as a state government minister.
During his legal challenge, Ward's defense argued that expelling him before the completion of his appeals was detrimental to the foundation of representative democracy. However, NSW Premier Chris Minns criticized Ward for not resigning sooner, 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." He questioned how Ward could adequately represent his constituents while imprisoned.
Opposition leader Mark Speakman echoed the Premier’s sentiment, denouncing Ward’s attempts to remain in parliament as "disgraceful." Ward has announced plans to appeal his conviction, while the political landscape continues to react to his resignation, which is poised to impact the forthcoming by-election.
