Premium Content:

NSW MP Gareth Ward suspended from parliament

New South Wales MP Gareth Ward has been suspended from parliament following the news that police have charged him with several historical sexual assaults.

- Advertisement -

The suspension will be in place until the criminal proceedings against him are finalised.

The government move the motion and it was passed without opposition. NSW Premier Dominic Perottet had called for Ward to resign from his seat, but the Member for Kiama refused.

On Tuesday the former Liberal Minister was charged with three counts of assault with an act of intimacy, one one count each of sexual intercourse without consent, and common assault.

Police will allege that the 40-year-old indecently assaulted a the 17 year-old-boy at Meroo Meadow in February 2013, and sexually abused the older man in Sydney two years later.

Ward was previously a Minister in the Berejiklian Government but resigned from his position and moved to the cross-bench when it was revealed he was the subject of an investigation.

Gareth Ward was granted conditional bail and will appear at Port Kembla Local Court on Wednesday May 18. In a statement released earlier this week Ward said he was innocent of the charges and looks forward to the opportunity to clear his name.

“While others have already attempted to prosecute my case in the media rather than the courts, out of respect for our system of justice, I will not be doing the same,” he said in a statement. “Accordingly, I will be making no further comment at this time.”

OIP Staff


Do you need some support?

If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, support and counselling are available from:

QLife: 1800 184 527 / qlife.org.au (Webchat 3pm – midnight)
QLife are a counselling and referral service for LGBTQIA+ people.

DISCHARGEDinfo@discharged.org.au / discharged.org.au
Discharged is a trans-led support service with peer support groups for trans and gender diverse folks.

Lifeline: 13 11 14 / lifeline.org.au

Beyondblue: 1300 22 4636 / www.beyondblue.org.au


You can support our work by subscribing to our Patreon
or contributing to our GoFundMe campaign.

 

 

Latest

On This Gay Day | Author and activist Dan Savage was born

Author Dan Savage has written widely about sex, created TV shows and shared his own story.

Miami Horror are ready to bring party vibes with their live show

Ben Plant chatted to OUTinPerth about making music and hitting the road for live shows.

Sri Lanka’s President says there’s no plans to promote tourism to LGBTIQA+ people

The commitment comes as there is growing pressure to descriminalise homosexual acts.

Rainbow Futures WA: Ban on conversion practices ‘cannot come soon enough’

"The government must urgently introduce legislation to protect LGBTQA+ people from these abhorrent practices.”

Newsletter

Don't miss

On This Gay Day | Author and activist Dan Savage was born

Author Dan Savage has written widely about sex, created TV shows and shared his own story.

Miami Horror are ready to bring party vibes with their live show

Ben Plant chatted to OUTinPerth about making music and hitting the road for live shows.

Sri Lanka’s President says there’s no plans to promote tourism to LGBTIQA+ people

The commitment comes as there is growing pressure to descriminalise homosexual acts.

Rainbow Futures WA: Ban on conversion practices ‘cannot come soon enough’

"The government must urgently introduce legislation to protect LGBTQA+ people from these abhorrent practices.”

WestPride Archives signs 10-year agreement with Murdoch University

Formerly known as Gay and Lesbian Archives WA (GALAWA), the archive holds WA's LGBTIQA+ history over the decades.

On This Gay Day | Author and activist Dan Savage was born

Author Dan Savage has written widely about sex, created TV shows and shared his own story.

Miami Horror are ready to bring party vibes with their live show

Ben Plant chatted to OUTinPerth about making music and hitting the road for live shows.

Sri Lanka’s President says there’s no plans to promote tourism to LGBTIQA+ people

The commitment comes as there is growing pressure to descriminalise homosexual acts.