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Gareth Ward

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For the New Zealand magician and author, see Gareth Ward (author).

Gareth Ward
MP
Ward in 2018
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Kiama
Incumbent
Assumed office
26 March 2011
Preceded byMatt Brown
Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services
In office
2 April 2019 – 14 May 2021
Preceded byPru Goward (as Minister for Family and Community Services)
Ray Williams (as Minister for Disability Services)
Succeeded byAlister Henskens
Personal details
Born1981 (age 42–43)
Gerringong, New South Wales, Australia
Political party
ResidenceMeroo Meadow[1]
EducationBomaderry High School
Alma mater
Occupation
  • Lawyer
  • Politician
Websitewww.garethwardmp.com.au

Gareth James Ward is an Australian politician who was the New South Wales Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services in the second Berejiklian ministry from 2019 to 2021.[2][3] Ward is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and has represented the seat of Kiama since 2011. He was suspended from NSW parliament in March 2022 until the end of that term in March 2023, after being charged with sexual intercourse without consent, and indecent assault.[4]

Ward was also previously the Parliamentary Secretary for Education, in addition to his role as the Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra and South Coast from 2017 until 2019. Previously, Ward was a councillor on Shoalhaven City Council from 2004 until 2012.[5]

Ward was born with albinism and is legally blind.[6][7]

Early life

[edit]

Ward was born c. 1981[8] in the Illawarra region and completed his schooling at Bomaderry High School. He holds degrees in commerce and arts from the University of Wollongong and Bachelor of Laws from the University of New England, and a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney. He holds a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Australian National University, and is an Admitted Solicitor in the Supreme Court of NSW and the High Court of Australia.[9] From 2001 to 2006, Ward was on the Council of the Wollongong Undergraduate Students' Association at the university, and was involved with the Australian Liberal Students Federation.

Political career

[edit]

On 27 March 2004 Ward was elected to the Shoalhaven City Council as an independent councillor representing the northern parts of Shoalhaven. He was re-elected on 13 September 2008 and was appointed deputy mayor in the same month.[10]

On 12 April 2010, Ward was preselected as the Liberal candidate for Kiama. It was reported that he gained preselection in a 20–12 vote against the previous candidate, Ann Sudmalis.[11] At the 2011 state election, Ward was elected with a swing of 19.4 points and won the seat with 57.5 per cent of the vote on a two-party basis.[12] Ward's main opponent was the incumbent sitting Labor member and former Minister, Matt Brown.

In April 2015, Ward was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra and South Coast after Premier Mike Baird abolished the former position of Minister for the Illawarra.[13] In March 2017, Ward was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary for Education.[14] Ward retained his existing responsibilities as the Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra and South Coast.

Following the 2019 state election Ward was appointed as Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services in the Second Berejiklian ministry.[3][15][16]

He is currently awaiting trial on charges of sexual and indecent assault. In February 2023 he announced that he would be contesting his seat as an independent at the 2023 state election, "to stand up for the principles and values that are worth fighting for".[17]

He was re-elected as an independent in the 2023 New South Wales state election.[18]

Controversies and allegations

[edit]

In September 2017 Ward claimed to have been the target of an attempted mugging in New York City while staying at the Intercontinental Hotel.[19] Ward claimed to have booked a male masseur for a massage, which was reported as a "special massage". In conflicting reports, it was claimed he "called a phone number provided by an acquaintance",[20] but others maintained that he ordered "the massage online from an outside service".[21] When two men turned up and announced that both of them were minors, Ward told them to leave. He then claimed the duo became aggressive and demanded US$1000 before they would leave. While luring the men down to the lobby under the guise of retrieving money from an ATM, Ward alerted hotel staff and the men fled. CCTV images were circulated but no arrests have been made.[22]

In September 2018 Ward was described in federal parliament by his fellow Liberal colleague, Ann Sudmalis, as leading a campaign of "bullying, betrayal and backstabbing" against her while she was a representative. The allegations were expanded to include branch stacking of local Liberal branches, and installing people hostile to Sudmalis on her electoral committee. She described his determination as to "annihilate anyone who opposed him" with his motivation being "Gareth's narcissistic revenge". Sudmalis went on to accuse him of misogynistic behaviour and raised several examples of where he had actively opposed and campaigned against female Liberals on the South Coast.[23]

In July 2024, Ward arrived at Parliament House at 4 am to retrieve his spare house keys after locking himself out of his apartment at Potts Point. He denied being drunk or wearing only underwear.[24] Premier Chris Minns has asked for a full explanation.[25]

Criminal charges

[edit]

On 14 May 2021 Ward resigned from his portfolio and moved to the crossbench after identifying himself as the state MP subject to an inquiry by the child abuse and sex crimes squad of the New South Wales Police Force.[26] Ward has denied the allegations.[27][28]

On 22 March 2022 Ward was charged with three counts of indecent assault, one count each of sexual intercourse without consent, and one count of common assault. He allegedly indecently assaulted a 17-year-old boy at Meroo Meadow in February 2013 and sexually abused a 27-year-old man in Sydney in September 2015. Ward was granted conditional bail to appear at Port Kembla Local Court on 18 May. The NSW Premier called for his resignation from Parliament and said that if Ward did not resign, the Government would move a motion to remove him from Parliament.[29] On 24 March 2022, he was suspended from parliament after a motion to do so was passed unanimously in the Legislative Assembly.[30] On 19 August 2022, Ward was committed to stand trial for sexual and indecent assault.[31] His trial will commence in May 2025.[32] Ward was narrowly elected as an independent in the 2023 New South Wales state election, suffering a 10.7% swing against him.[33] The NSW government decided to follow the advice of parliament's privileges and ethics committee not to extend Ward's suspension into his new term.[34]

References

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  1. ^ "Candidates – The Legislative Assembly District of Kiama". Elections NSW. New South Wales Electoral Commission. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  2. ^ "Government Notices (30)" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 2 April 2019. p. 1088-1090. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  3. ^ a b Sas, Nick (31 March 2019). "Gladys Berejiklian says Liberal Party has no women problem as re-elected NSW Premier shuffles Cabinet". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  4. ^ Ferri, Lauren (28 March 2023). "Gareth Ward to stand trial over charges of sexual intercourse without consent, assault". News.com.au.
  5. ^ "The Hon. Gareth James WARD, BA, BCom, LLB, GradDipLegPrac, JP MP". Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  6. ^ Ward, Gareth (3 April 2019). "You too can climb high: A message to young people just like me". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  7. ^ Huntsdale, Justin (18 June 2015). "Albinism no barrier to success: Kiama MP Gareth Ward". ABC Illawarra. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  8. ^ "Mr Gareth James WARD, BA, BCom, LLB, LLM, GradDipLegPrac, PHF MP". www.parliament.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Gareth Ward". Members. Liberal Party. 2011. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
  10. ^ "Clr Gareth Ward". About Councillors. Shoalhaven City Council. Retrieved 23 May 2008.
  11. ^ "Shoalhaven Deputy Mayor contesting state election". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 13 April 2010. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
  12. ^ Green, Antony (5 April 2011). "Kiama". NSW Votes 2011. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
  13. ^ McIlwain, Kate (1 April 2015). "Kiama MP Gareth Ward appointed parliamentary secretary for the Illawarra". Illawarra Mercury. Wollongong. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  14. ^ "Gareth Ward appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Education | News". Archived from the original on 12 June 2018.
  15. ^ "Premier announces new Cabinet" (Press release). Premier of New South Wales. 31 March 2019. Archived from the original on 10 March 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  16. ^ Han, Sophie (2 April 2019). "Berejiklian's new massive cabinet sworn in amid peals of laughter". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  17. ^ Rabe, Tom (3 February 2023). "Former Liberal minister Gareth Ward to contest Kiama as independent". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  18. ^ Beazley, Jordyn; Rose, Tamsin (29 March 2023). "Gareth Ward set to be re-elected as Kiama MP despite being suspended from NSW parliament". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  19. ^ "NSW MP denies 'special' massage in New York, claims extortion bid". ABC News. 31 August 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  20. ^ "Aussie lawmaker tricked into massage scam: cops". New York Post. 30 August 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  21. ^ "Very 'unhappy ending' for massage-seeking MP". NewsComAu. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  22. ^ "These 'masseurs' tried to scam a blind Australian politician". New York Post. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  23. ^ Savage, Desiree (17 September 2018). "Watch Ann Sudmalis slam Liberal Party 'bullying, betrayal and backstabbing'". Illawarra Mercury.
  24. ^ McGowan, Michael (25 September 2024). "MP denies being drunk and in underwear outside parliament at 4am". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  25. ^ McGowan, Michael (26 September 2024). "'It's a workplace': Premier demands answers over MP's 4am visit to parliament in boxer shorts". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  26. ^ "Gareth Ward: NSW prosecutor to consider sexual violence claims against Kiama MP". 7 July 2021.
  27. ^ Smith, Alexandra; Rabe, Tom (13 May 2021). "NSW Minister Gareth Ward investigated by NSW Police over sexual violence allegations". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  28. ^ Smith, Alexandra; Rabe, Tom (17 May 2021). "Liberal MPs will wait for byelection before counselling Gareth Ward on political future". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  29. ^ Cormack, Lucy (22 March 2022). "Gareth Ward charged over historical allegations of sexual assault". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  30. ^ Raper, Ashleigh (24 March 2022). "NSW MP Gareth Ward suspended from parliament over historic sexual abuse charges". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  31. ^ McPhee, Sarah (19 August 2022). "NSW MP Gareth Ward to face trial on sexual and indecent assault charges". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  32. ^ Ferri, Lauren (22 April 2024). "Former NSW minister Gareth Ward slams cops after new sexual assault trial date". news.com.au. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  33. ^ "Kiama (Key Seat) – NSW Election 2023". www.abc.net.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 25 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  34. ^ "NSW MP Gareth Ward will not be suspended a second time, says ethics committee". ABC News. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Member for Kiama
2011–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded byas Minister for Family and Community Services Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services
2019–2021 		Succeeded by
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