Labor doubles down on renewables with Energy Minister Chris Bowen to unveil 25 per cent increase to Capacity Investment Scheme
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The Age
33 minutes ago
- The Age
Australia news LIVE: Albanese defends Allan's WFH push; Trump threatens higher tariffs on Australian medications; Rio Tinto mulls sick leave overhaul
Key posts 1.59pm Flying to Sydney from NZ? You might not need to fill out a paper form any more 1.39pm Union alarm as mining giant mulls sick leave overhaul 1.20pm Today's headlines 12.50pm Taxpayers pour $50 million into Gina Rinehart-backed lithium miner 12.20pm Trump threatens DC takeover after staffer known as 'Big Balls' assaulted 11.18am Trump coming after 'utterly core' Labor agenda: Butler 11.16am Butler 'very concerned' about Trump's 250 per cent tariff threat 10.59am Albanese praises 'very constructive' call with Palestinian Authority Hide key posts Go to latest Quick explainer: What is a tariff? By Alexander Darling Good afternoon, Alex here in Melbourne taking over from my colleague, Daniel. While there's all this discussion about US President Donald Trump's tariffs coming into effect today, here's a crash course in what that word means. A tariff is a tax which countries impose on goods and services imported from another country. They are often used to protect domestic industries offering the same goods and services as well as raising revenue. Loading Often importers will pass the costs of tariffs onto their customers in the form of higher prices, making the imported goods more expensive and less attractive to consumers. As an example, US importers will pay a 10 per cent tariff on Australian goods, meaning an order that used to cost $1 million will now cost them $1.1 million. In the past, US President Donald Trump has used tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China as a bargaining chip, to force those countries to change their approach to controlling the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigrants to the US. Latest posts 2.55pm Trump threatens 100 percent tariff on chips - with a carrot attached By Alexander Darling While Australia is sweating on Donald Trump's threat of a 250 tariff on pharmaceuticals exported to the US, the higher tariffs have already arrived for other countries. In the past 24 hours, the president has announced a plan to impose 100 per cent tariffs on semiconductor imports. Semiconductors are small bits of metal that conduct electricity, needed in everything from smartphones to medical equipment. The president of the Philippine semiconductor industry Dan Lachica said that around 70 per cent of the country's exports are semiconductors, and as such this new tariff plan would be 'devastating' for the Asian archipelago nation. Trump said companies that make computer chips in the US would be spared the import tax. Investors seemed to interpret the potential tariff exemptions as a positive for Apple and other major tech companies that have been making huge financial commitments to manufacture more chips and other components in the US. Loading Big Tech has already made collective commitments to invest about $1.5 trillion in the U.S. since Trump moved back into the White House in January. That figure includes a $600 billion promise from Apple after the iPhone maker boosted its commitment by tacking another $100 billion on to a previous commitment made in February. Meanwhile, Trump has also imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil in a move that sharply escalated tensions between the two nations after trade talks reached a deadlock. You can read more from our Europe correspondent David Crowe at the link here. With Reuters, AP 2.35pm Negative gearing: Greens spruik last election's housing policy ahead of productivity roundtable By Alexander Darling The Greens have welcomed fresh calls from the Australian Council of Social Service to curb the Capital Gains Tax discount and abolish negative gearing, ahead of treasurer Jim Chalmers' Economic Reform Roundtable later this month. ACOSS published its submission to the roundtable earlier today, which is also calling for reform of employment services and support for households and industry to speed the clean energy transition. 'ACOSS joins a chorus of stakeholders, including the ACTU and banks, calling on the government to wind back negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount ahead of the [roundtable],' said the Greens in a statement on Thursday afternoon. 'Under the Greens 2025 election policy, both negative gearing and the CGT discount would be grandfathered to one existing investment property and removed on all second and subsequent properties, ensuring 'mum and dad' investors with a single investment property are not negatively impacted, while disincentivising future speculative and unproductive investment in the property market.' The party's housing spokesperson, Senator Barbara Pocock, said the roundtable was 'an ideal opportunity where fixing the housing crisis should be top of the agenda'. Later in the same press conference, Robert Simms, a state Greens member of South Australia's upper house, said he would draft a bill giving SA's public servants the right to work from home one day a week. It follows Victoria's Labor premier announcing last week legislation allowing both public and private sector workers the right to work from home two days a week. The Prime Minister defended Jacinta Allan's push earlier today. Man charged with killing a top Minnesota House Democrat is expected to plead not guilty Minneapolis: The man charged with killing the top Democrat in the Minnesota House and her husband, and wounding a state senator and his wife, is expected to plead not guilty when he's arraigned in a federal court on Thursday, his lawyer says. Loading Vance Boelter, 58, of Green Isle, Minnesota, was indicted on July 15 on six counts of murder, stalking and firearms violations. The murder charges could carry the federal death penalty, though prosecutors say that decision is several months away. As they announced the indictment, prosecutors released a rambling handwritten letter they say Boelter wrote to FBI director Kash Patel in which he confessed to the June 14 shootings of Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. However, the letter doesn't make clear why he targeted the Hortmans or Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, who survived. Boelter's federal defence lawyer, Manny Atwal, has said that the weighty charges did not come as a surprise, but she has not commented on the substance of the allegations nor any defence strategies. 1.59pm Flying to Sydney from NZ? You might not need to fill out a paper form any more By Chris Zappone Sydney-bound Qantas passengers from Auckland and Queenstown can now enter the country without a paper incoming passenger card, thanks to a trial of a digital replacement. How it works Before landing, eligible Qantas passengers can complete their passenger questionnaire on their Qantas app and receive a digital QR code. On arrival, they process through the SmartGate system with their passport. At customs, passengers show the QR code generated on their app to Australian Border Force officials. An official checks the details on the digital card and either clears the passenger or directs them to a luggage inspection. The digital card eliminates the need for the forms to be filled out by passengers before landing. For the affected flights, it's expected to speed up the international arrival process in Sydney which has long been a source of aggravation for passengers. The SmartGate system has been dogged by problems and cost overruns since its rollout a decade ago. The slow adoption of the kiosks have created bottlenecks for exhausted passengers who have often flown for hours before arrival in Australia only to wait in long lines to be cleared for entry to the country. Although Smartgates are typically paid for by the Australian Border Force, Sydney Airport has footed the bill for eight new kiosks at T1 to speed the processing capacity. It will install a further 32 SmartGate kiosks by 2026, the airport says. The trial of a digital incoming passenger card for the Sydney-bound flights from New Zealand follows an earlier trial for all international Qantas flights into Brisbane which began in October 2024. Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said the launch of the limited Sydney digital incoming passenger card 'is a significant step forward in simplifying the arrival process into Australia, and the overwhelmingly positive response from our customers in Brisbane has demonstrated just how much demand there is for this innovation'. 1.39pm Union alarm as mining giant mulls sick leave overhaul By Aaron Bunch and Alexander Darling Thousands of iron ore workers could have their sick leave entitlements slashed, unions claim. Rio Tinto has proposed a slew of changes to its sick leave policy, including reducing workers' entitlement of three months a year to 12 days, the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union says. The Mining and Energy Union said this amounts to a cut of 33 to 36 days of sick leave in real terms. The proposals raised serious concerns for workers, and the mining giant needed to provide more information, AMWU state secretary Steve McCartney said. 'Rio Tinto is starting with workers' sick leave entitlements — but who's to say wages and broader conditions aren't next on the chopping block?' he said. According to the union, the revised policy includes 10 days of sick leave and two additional days a year, which do not accrue year-on-year. Loading Workers would be eligible for a $1000 annual payment for wellness programs, it said. Rio Tinto said it was consulting with its employees over proposed changes to its sick and carer's leave policy for its iron ore business. 'Safety and wellbeing of our people is our top priority,' a spokeswoman said. 'Prompted by feedback from our people survey, we are conducting a review of the sick and carer's leave policy for Rio Tinto Iron Ore.' Rio Tinto Iron Ore employs about 16,000 people. Under the National Employment Standards, full-time employees are entitled to 10 days of sick leave each year. With AAP 1.36pm Quick explainer: What is a tariff? By Alexander Darling Good afternoon, Alex here in Melbourne taking over from my colleague, Daniel. While there's all this discussion about US President Donald Trump's tariffs coming into effect today, here's a crash course in what that word means. A tariff is a tax which countries impose on goods and services imported from another country. They are often used to protect domestic industries offering the same goods and services as well as raising revenue. Loading Often importers will pass the costs of tariffs onto their customers in the form of higher prices, making the imported goods more expensive and less attractive to consumers. As an example, US importers will pay a 10 per cent tariff on Australian goods, meaning an order that used to cost $1 million will now cost them $1.1 million. In the past, US President Donald Trump has used tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China as a bargaining chip, to force those countries to change their approach to controlling the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigrants to the US. 1.20pm Today's headlines By Daniel Lo Surdo Good afternoon, and thank you for reading our national news blog. Here's a look at today's biggest stories: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan's controversial work-from-home plan, saying Allan's remote work stance was 'consistent' with the federal government. Allan faced criticism after announcing plans to enshrine the right to work from home into law, with legal experts and business groups both sharing their concern. Albanese said Allan was responding to views in Victoria, and that flexible working arrangements 'help workers, and they help employers'. Health Minister Mark Butler has said he is 'very concerned' after US President Donald Trump threatened a 250 per cent tariff rate on Australian pharmaceuticals amid increasing pressure from American pharmaceutical lobbyists. Butler reiterated the government's refusal to present the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme as a negotiating chip in tariff negotiations, and said he would press for the continuing of free trade with the US on pharmaceuticals. Australia exported a record $5.7 billion worth of non-monetary gold in June, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics this morning. Gold exports enjoyed a spike at the start of the year amid concern from American investors about Trump's trade policy, helping Australia run a rare trade surplus with the US. Australia exported a record $46.9 billion worth of gold in the 2024-25 financial year. Trump has suggested he may use the National Guard to police the streets of Washington in his latest threat to grant a federal takeover of the US capital. It comes after Edward Coristine, the young staffer known as 'Big Balls' who formerly worked for Elon Musk's so-called department of government efficiency, was beaten and assaulted at the weekend. Trump, who has threatened a federal takeover of Washington on several occasions, said the capital was 'very unsafe', and that 'we have to run DC'. 12.50pm Taxpayers pour $50 million into Gina Rinehart-backed lithium miner By Nick Toscano Australia's national investment fund has taken a $50 million stake in Gina Rinehart-backed Liontown Resources, in the latest sign the Albanese government is doubling down on efforts to help critical minerals producers ride out a long-running price slump. Liontown, a Western Australia-based miner of the electric battery raw material lithium, said on Thursday a $266 million capital raise to fortify its balance sheet would be led by a cornerstone $50 million investment from the federal government's taxpayer-funded National Reconstruction Fund. Rinehart, Australia's richest person, is ASX-listed Liontown's single largest investor with an 18 per cent stake held through her flagship company Hancock Prospecting. The National Reconstruction Fund Corporation – established in 2023 to support priority areas of the Australian economy – said its Liontown investment was in line with the government's strategy to transform Australia into a 'global leader in the critical minerals supply chain'. 'Australia is well-positioned to be a competitive, long-term supplier of lithium to the rest of the world,' the corporation's chief executive David Gall said. Australia is home to some of the richest known reserves of lithium, a metal often called 'white gold' due to its silvery-white appearance and the fact it is an ingredient the world will need in far greater quantities to manufacture lithium-ion batteries to power electric cars and store renewable energy. Since the dawning of the electric vehicle era, automakers across the globe have been scrambling to lock in lithium supplies, striking long-term contracts with producers in WA and the Northern Territory. However, lithium prices have fallen sharply since hitting record highs in late 2022, amid a global slowdown in electric vehicle sales, putting producers' balance sheets under mounting pressure. Liontown managing director Tony Ottaviano described the government's investment as a 'strong endorsement' of the strategic importance of the company's Kathleen Valley lithium project, adding that Liontown was 'well-placed to remain resilient in this low-price environment'. Earlier this year, the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund took a $200 million stake in Arafura Rare Earths, a company aiming to mine and process crucial raw ingredients needed to make high-strength magnets in the Northern Territory. 12.20pm Trump threatens DC takeover after staffer known as 'Big Balls' assaulted US President Donald Trump suggested he may use the National Guard to police the streets of Washington, DC, in his latest threat to take over running the city that serves as the seat of the US government. 'We have a capital that's very unsafe,' Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. 'We have to run DC.' Trump, who has threatened a federal takeover of the city multiple times, renewed those threats after a young staffer who was part of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency was assaulted over the weekend. Musk, the billionaire former adviser to Trump who once spearheaded the DOGE effort, said the man – Edward Coristine, known by the nickname 'Big Balls' – was beaten and received a concussion. 'It is time to federalise DC,' he wrote. A spokesman for DC Mayor Muriel Bowser declined to comment. Violent crime in the first seven months of 2025 was down by 26 per cent in DC compared with last year while overall crime was down about 7 per cent, according to the police department. 12.09pm Australian gold exports hit record high By Shane Wright The great musician Prince may have said that all that glitters ain't gold, but he wasn't singing about Australia's extraordinary golden trade performance of the past year. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics released this morning revealed that in June, the country exported a record $5.7 billion worth of non-monetary gold. There was a spike at the start of the year as gold exports from Australia and several other nations to the United States soared on concerns among American investors about Donald Trump's trade policy. So large were our exports that Australia ran a trade surplus with the US for the first time since Harry Truman was president (and Vera Lynn, Bing Crosby and Tony Bennett dominated the music charts). The trade surplus has come to an end, but Australia is still exporting record amounts of gold. In 2024-25, the country exported a record $46.9 billion worth of the shiny stuff, a 42.4 per cent lift on 2023-24. It's almost double the value of gold exports in 2022-23. By contrast, the nation's single large export – iron ore – slid by 15.5 per cent last financial year to $116.5 billion.
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
‘Dropped the ball': Labor failing to address Artificial Intelligence debate appropriately
Opposition Chief Whip Aaron Violi says the Albanese government has 'dropped the ball' on AI strategy. Mr Violi told Sky News Australia that there is 'no clarity' on the direction Labor wants to take Artificial Intelligence in. 'We're asking people to invest, but without that certainty that they need.'
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Convictions not enough to expel sex offender MP: lawyer
Four sex offence convictions against a sitting MP aren't enough to expel him from parliament under "unworthy behaviour" provisions, his lawyer has argued. Gareth Ward, 44, remains the member for the NSW seat of Kiama, as he awaits sentencing for sexually assaulting an intoxicated political staffer after a midweek event in the state's parliament in 2015. The former families minister was also found to have sexually abused a drunken 18-year-old man at his South Coast home in 2013. A Labor-led vote to expel Ward from parliament, slated for Wednesday, was delayed after the Supreme Court ordered a halt at the MP's request. His barrister told an urgent NSW Court of Appeal hearing on Thursday that a letter Ward received from the Labor government about the planned expulsion vote only referred to the convictions, and did not lay out a case for Ward's expulsion. The letter did not detail any "unworthy conduct" - the expulsion power Labor is relying on to turf Ward - Peter King told a panel of three judges. "Are you seriously submitting that the convictions of the counts ... are not conduct unworthy?" Chief Justice Andrew Bell asked. "The four counts are evidence of the fact of conviction but they're not evidence of the facts which underlie that conviction," Mr King said. When the barrister tried again to make the same argument, Justice Jeremy Kirk chimed in. "There can't be any mystery about it, he was tried publicly on an indictment," the judge said. "He, of all people, must know what behaviour led to his conviction." Justice Kirk also questioned whether the court could do anything or interfere in the government's processes, as there had been no orders made to appeal. The most serious charge against Ward, who is in custody, carries a maximum 14-year jail term. Mr King also argued that the move to expel Ward was punitive - denying the MP his chance to remain in parliament or go for re-election - if he successfully appealed the convictions. If Ward's appeal fails, he will be automatically expelled under a separate power. The move also denied Ward procedural fairness by denying him the chance to get up and oppose the motion in parliament, Mr King said. "In short, he is to be expelled by a kangaroo court," he said. Four MPs have been expelled from NSW parliament, the last in 1969 under the "unworthy conduct" power. Any expulsion of Ward will trigger a by-election in the NSW south coast electorate he has held since 2011. Initially running under the Liberal banner, he secured a 2023 poll win as an independent, despite having been charged with sexual assault and suspended from parliament. A vote to expel him is almost certain to pass with support from leaders of Labor and the coalition. NSW Premier Chris Minns said having an MP sitting in jail awaiting sentencing, while demanding to remain in parliament, was "an unconscionable situation". Opposition Leader Mark Speakman repeated calls for Ward to resign after the legal action prevented a parliamentary vote to expel him. Academic Tonia Gray - who contested Kiama for the Greens at the 2023 state election - told AAP Ward should vacate the seat after being found guilty. The ongoing distraction of his refusal to resign has been a disservice to the community, she said. "It's clearly not about the people of Kiama - it's all about Gareth," Dr Gray said. "Kiama deserves an opportunity to hold a by-election and elect a new member to the NSW parliament that can give their absolute attention to the critical work of representing our community." 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Four sex offence convictions against a sitting MP aren't enough to expel him from parliament under "unworthy behaviour" provisions, his lawyer has argued. Gareth Ward, 44, remains the member for the NSW seat of Kiama, as he awaits sentencing for sexually assaulting an intoxicated political staffer after a midweek event in the state's parliament in 2015. The former families minister was also found to have sexually abused a drunken 18-year-old man at his South Coast home in 2013. A Labor-led vote to expel Ward from parliament, slated for Wednesday, was delayed after the Supreme Court ordered a halt at the MP's request. His barrister told an urgent NSW Court of Appeal hearing on Thursday that a letter Ward received from the Labor government about the planned expulsion vote only referred to the convictions, and did not lay out a case for Ward's expulsion. The letter did not detail any "unworthy conduct" - the expulsion power Labor is relying on to turf Ward - Peter King told a panel of three judges. "Are you seriously submitting that the convictions of the counts ... are not conduct unworthy?" Chief Justice Andrew Bell asked. "The four counts are evidence of the fact of conviction but they're not evidence of the facts which underlie that conviction," Mr King said. When the barrister tried again to make the same argument, Justice Jeremy Kirk chimed in. "There can't be any mystery about it, he was tried publicly on an indictment," the judge said. "He, of all people, must know what behaviour led to his conviction." Justice Kirk also questioned whether the court could do anything or interfere in the government's processes, as there had been no orders made to appeal. The most serious charge against Ward, who is in custody, carries a maximum 14-year jail term. Mr King also argued that the move to expel Ward was punitive - denying the MP his chance to remain in parliament or go for re-election - if he successfully appealed the convictions. If Ward's appeal fails, he will be automatically expelled under a separate power. The move also denied Ward procedural fairness by denying him the chance to get up and oppose the motion in parliament, Mr King said. "In short, he is to be expelled by a kangaroo court," he said. Four MPs have been expelled from NSW parliament, the last in 1969 under the "unworthy conduct" power. Any expulsion of Ward will trigger a by-election in the NSW south coast electorate he has held since 2011. Initially running under the Liberal banner, he secured a 2023 poll win as an independent, despite having been charged with sexual assault and suspended from parliament. A vote to expel him is almost certain to pass with support from leaders of Labor and the coalition. NSW Premier Chris Minns said having an MP sitting in jail awaiting sentencing, while demanding to remain in parliament, was "an unconscionable situation". Opposition Leader Mark Speakman repeated calls for Ward to resign after the legal action prevented a parliamentary vote to expel him. Academic Tonia Gray - who contested Kiama for the Greens at the 2023 state election - told AAP Ward should vacate the seat after being found guilty. The ongoing distraction of his refusal to resign has been a disservice to the community, she said. "It's clearly not about the people of Kiama - it's all about Gareth," Dr Gray said. "Kiama deserves an opportunity to hold a by-election and elect a new member to the NSW parliament that can give their absolute attention to the critical work of representing our community." 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Four sex offence convictions against a sitting MP aren't enough to expel him from parliament under "unworthy behaviour" provisions, his lawyer has argued. Gareth Ward, 44, remains the member for the NSW seat of Kiama, as he awaits sentencing for sexually assaulting an intoxicated political staffer after a midweek event in the state's parliament in 2015. The former families minister was also found to have sexually abused a drunken 18-year-old man at his South Coast home in 2013. A Labor-led vote to expel Ward from parliament, slated for Wednesday, was delayed after the Supreme Court ordered a halt at the MP's request. His barrister told an urgent NSW Court of Appeal hearing on Thursday that a letter Ward received from the Labor government about the planned expulsion vote only referred to the convictions, and did not lay out a case for Ward's expulsion. The letter did not detail any "unworthy conduct" - the expulsion power Labor is relying on to turf Ward - Peter King told a panel of three judges. "Are you seriously submitting that the convictions of the counts ... are not conduct unworthy?" Chief Justice Andrew Bell asked. "The four counts are evidence of the fact of conviction but they're not evidence of the facts which underlie that conviction," Mr King said. When the barrister tried again to make the same argument, Justice Jeremy Kirk chimed in. "There can't be any mystery about it, he was tried publicly on an indictment," the judge said. "He, of all people, must know what behaviour led to his conviction." Justice Kirk also questioned whether the court could do anything or interfere in the government's processes, as there had been no orders made to appeal. The most serious charge against Ward, who is in custody, carries a maximum 14-year jail term. Mr King also argued that the move to expel Ward was punitive - denying the MP his chance to remain in parliament or go for re-election - if he successfully appealed the convictions. If Ward's appeal fails, he will be automatically expelled under a separate power. The move also denied Ward procedural fairness by denying him the chance to get up and oppose the motion in parliament, Mr King said. "In short, he is to be expelled by a kangaroo court," he said. Four MPs have been expelled from NSW parliament, the last in 1969 under the "unworthy conduct" power. Any expulsion of Ward will trigger a by-election in the NSW south coast electorate he has held since 2011. Initially running under the Liberal banner, he secured a 2023 poll win as an independent, despite having been charged with sexual assault and suspended from parliament. A vote to expel him is almost certain to pass with support from leaders of Labor and the coalition. NSW Premier Chris Minns said having an MP sitting in jail awaiting sentencing, while demanding to remain in parliament, was "an unconscionable situation". Opposition Leader Mark Speakman repeated calls for Ward to resign after the legal action prevented a parliamentary vote to expel him. Academic Tonia Gray - who contested Kiama for the Greens at the 2023 state election - told AAP Ward should vacate the seat after being found guilty. The ongoing distraction of his refusal to resign has been a disservice to the community, she said. "It's clearly not about the people of Kiama - it's all about Gareth," Dr Gray said. "Kiama deserves an opportunity to hold a by-election and elect a new member to the NSW parliament that can give their absolute attention to the critical work of representing our community." 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Four sex offence convictions against a sitting MP aren't enough to expel him from parliament under "unworthy behaviour" provisions, his lawyer has argued. Gareth Ward, 44, remains the member for the NSW seat of Kiama, as he awaits sentencing for sexually assaulting an intoxicated political staffer after a midweek event in the state's parliament in 2015. The former families minister was also found to have sexually abused a drunken 18-year-old man at his South Coast home in 2013. A Labor-led vote to expel Ward from parliament, slated for Wednesday, was delayed after the Supreme Court ordered a halt at the MP's request. His barrister told an urgent NSW Court of Appeal hearing on Thursday that a letter Ward received from the Labor government about the planned expulsion vote only referred to the convictions, and did not lay out a case for Ward's expulsion. The letter did not detail any "unworthy conduct" - the expulsion power Labor is relying on to turf Ward - Peter King told a panel of three judges. "Are you seriously submitting that the convictions of the counts ... are not conduct unworthy?" Chief Justice Andrew Bell asked. "The four counts are evidence of the fact of conviction but they're not evidence of the facts which underlie that conviction," Mr King said. When the barrister tried again to make the same argument, Justice Jeremy Kirk chimed in. "There can't be any mystery about it, he was tried publicly on an indictment," the judge said. "He, of all people, must know what behaviour led to his conviction." Justice Kirk also questioned whether the court could do anything or interfere in the government's processes, as there had been no orders made to appeal. The most serious charge against Ward, who is in custody, carries a maximum 14-year jail term. Mr King also argued that the move to expel Ward was punitive - denying the MP his chance to remain in parliament or go for re-election - if he successfully appealed the convictions. If Ward's appeal fails, he will be automatically expelled under a separate power. The move also denied Ward procedural fairness by denying him the chance to get up and oppose the motion in parliament, Mr King said. "In short, he is to be expelled by a kangaroo court," he said. Four MPs have been expelled from NSW parliament, the last in 1969 under the "unworthy conduct" power. Any expulsion of Ward will trigger a by-election in the NSW south coast electorate he has held since 2011. Initially running under the Liberal banner, he secured a 2023 poll win as an independent, despite having been charged with sexual assault and suspended from parliament. A vote to expel him is almost certain to pass with support from leaders of Labor and the coalition. NSW Premier Chris Minns said having an MP sitting in jail awaiting sentencing, while demanding to remain in parliament, was "an unconscionable situation". Opposition Leader Mark Speakman repeated calls for Ward to resign after the legal action prevented a parliamentary vote to expel him. Academic Tonia Gray - who contested Kiama for the Greens at the 2023 state election - told AAP Ward should vacate the seat after being found guilty. The ongoing distraction of his refusal to resign has been a disservice to the community, she said. "It's clearly not about the people of Kiama - it's all about Gareth," Dr Gray said. "Kiama deserves an opportunity to hold a by-election and elect a new member to the NSW parliament that can give their absolute attention to the critical work of representing our community." 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
