‘I am a fighter': Kapterian reveals why she is challenging the Bradfield result
Kapterian on Tuesday lodged a petition in the High Court, which sits as the Court of Disputed Returns, in a bid to have the Bradfield result overturned by a judge.
Teal candidate Nicolette Boele won Bradfield in a recount, with just 26 votes separating the pair.
Kapterian, who has a frontbench position on hold for her in Canberra, said she was expecting a 'short and sharp' hearing which would come at no cost to the taxpayers. Kapterian has indemnity from the Liberal Party in the event of a loss, but Boele is a respondent so will likely incur costs.
'The refs on the field have made a call, and we're going to the video umpire. That's all this is, it is a pure extension of the count,' Kapterian told the Herald in an exclusive interview.
'We're just hoping to make sure that we give a voice to as many of those voters in Bradfield as possible, just to make sure that the count actually reflects those voter intentions.
'I don't anticipate a byelection to be the result of this challenge, and we haven't asked for one.'
While Kapterian has not seen the ballots in question, she said between the initial count and the recount about 170 votes that were originally assessed as formal were ruled informal.
This was one of the key reasons prompting her to pursue a court challenge. Her legal team, Melbourne-based barristers Philip Crutchfield KC and Dean Luxton, will be provided with access to the ballots once they are lodged with the court.
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ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Wyndham City Council referred to IBAC as MP claims tens of millions 'flushed down the toilet' on failed IT project
A council in Melbourne's booming outer south-west has been referred to the state's anti-corruption watchdog over a failed IT project worth tens of millions of dollars. The issue emerged when representatives from Wyndham City Council faced a fiery parliamentary committee hearing into fraud and corruption controls in local government. Labor's MP for Point Cook, Mat Hilakari, questioned whether the council did enough to inform ratepayers about the cost blowout, which he put at $69 million. But the council defended its transparency, saying information about the project was publicly available. In 2018, the council appointed tech company Oracle Australia to provide software that could combine council functions on one platform. It was supposed to be a $20 million project, taking two years. But four years later, the project was running nearly $20 million over budget. So the council terminated the contract and engaged a new company, TechnologyOne, to do the work. Mr Hilakari told the inquiry he estimated the cost blowout for the entire project at nearly $70 million. "I would put it at probably around $69 million in overruns, and this hasn't been publicly disclosed until this point in time, is that right?" he asked. The council's chief executive, Stephen Wall, said he would take the issue of the cost on notice. "But that sounds excessive," he said. Mr Hilakari asked why the failure of the original project, and the cost overrun, had not been communicated to ratepayers. "Whose decision is it not to disclose these things to the public?" he asked. Wyndham Deputy Mayor Josh Gilligan said financial decisions were all available, but said no-one had asked about them. "I just take particular umbrage with the question that suggests that we were not or were somehow not wanting to disclose cost variation to a major project," he said. "I just completely dispute that." Mr Wall agreed. "All of council's financial transactions are transparent," he said. The ABC understands the council's handling of the issue has been referred to Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, IBAC. The ABC understands another Wyndham councillor, Robert Szatkowski, has made a referral to Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, IBAC, for matters that relate to the IT project. The ABC has contacted IBAC for comment. A referral to IBAC does not mean it will launch an investigation and the ABC is not suggesting that a referral implies any findings of wrongdoing. Councillor Gilligan pointed out to Mr Hilakari that the state government was also facing cost blowouts on various projects. "You would agree that cost overruns on a state level of hundreds of millions of dollars occur, on the regular?" he asked. "And we're very transparent about that," Mr Hilakari said. "As we are," Cr Gilligan insisted. "Well then you'd better tell me where the project fail of Oracle and the tens and tens of millions of dollars of ratepayer funds that were flushed down the toilet to be frank, where was that publicly disclosed?" Mr Wall said he would take that on notice, but said there was a clear business case and a tender process, and that the current IT project was a success. Wyndham council is facing backlash for diverting funds from developers in Point Cook to be used elsewhere in the municipality. Cr Gilligan told the hearing the council had a prerogative to spend money raised from Point Cook developments in another location. "That money can be spent in a location that is different to the one that you want it spent in," he said. "That is our prerogative, just as state and federal governments have their own prerogative within the realm of law to make decisions, this council has made a decision to look at spending it on an intergenerational project somewhere else." The committee is due to table its full report in November.
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Coalition splinters as heat rises on net-zero policy
A key climate target might be dumped by the coalition as an increasing number of Liberals cast doubt over the future of the opposition's commitment to net zero. Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce on Monday launched a bid to repeal the net-zero emissions by 2050 reduction target. But his private member's bill is guaranteed to fail, because it lacks the support of the government which has a majority in the House of Representatives. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley maintains the coalition will wait until after a review of its disastrous May election loss before making formal policy decisions. Despite a growing number of Liberal politicians speaking out against stronger climate change action, she doubled down on waiting for the review. "We're going to bring all of those views together ... to flesh out the different perspectives, the expert advice and, of course, focus on this government's miserable failure when it comes to energy policy," she told Sky News. Asked about the political impact of dumping the climate target, Ms Ley said she would not foreshadow the review's outcome. Many Liberal moderates want the net-zero target retained so the party is seen to be taking climate action seriously. But Mr Joyce said there was no reason why abandoning the targets should be off the table. "This is not about leadership. This is not about trying to create some sort of discordant note," he told reporters ahead of the bill's introduction. "There's not anything in this bill that the coalition didn't have the same position we voted for." Mr Joyce has the backing of his former leadership rival Michael McCormack. The two ex-deputy prime ministers are critical of Nationals leader David Littleproud's handling of the aftermath of the election defeat. The coalition reunited at the end of May following a messy week-long split driven by divisions which included energy policy. Climate Change Authority chair Matt Kean, a former deputy leader of the NSW Liberal Party, said "political stunts are no substitutes for real policies". "The voters overwhelmingly gave their verdict on Labor's climate policies, compared with the coalition's, and if Labor's massive majority doesn't send out mandate signals, well you're probably not paying attention," he said. Mr Littleproud's leadership was contested after the election over the party's adoption of the climate target. Liberal MP Garth Hamilton has also backed Nationals MPs trying to jettison the climate target. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson launched her own bid to scrap net zero in the upper house on Monday. But the coalition largely stood united against the issue, with only Nationals senator Matt Canavan and firebrand Liberal Alex Antic voting with the minor party on the motion. Senator Canavan had said One Nation was "catching up" to his colleagues in the Nationals party, specifically Mr Joyce. "I give him credit for doing this: he's put it on the agenda, he's dominating the media discussions," he told the Senate. "We are here to make laws, not just statements, so we've got to repeal this rubbish." Only five out of the coalition's 27 senators showed up for the motion, but one was in the chair and exercised his right not to vote, while Liberal senators Jane Hume and Andrew McLachlan voted against it. A key climate target might be dumped by the coalition as an increasing number of Liberals cast doubt over the future of the opposition's commitment to net zero. Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce on Monday launched a bid to repeal the net-zero emissions by 2050 reduction target. But his private member's bill is guaranteed to fail, because it lacks the support of the government which has a majority in the House of Representatives. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley maintains the coalition will wait until after a review of its disastrous May election loss before making formal policy decisions. Despite a growing number of Liberal politicians speaking out against stronger climate change action, she doubled down on waiting for the review. "We're going to bring all of those views together ... to flesh out the different perspectives, the expert advice and, of course, focus on this government's miserable failure when it comes to energy policy," she told Sky News. Asked about the political impact of dumping the climate target, Ms Ley said she would not foreshadow the review's outcome. Many Liberal moderates want the net-zero target retained so the party is seen to be taking climate action seriously. But Mr Joyce said there was no reason why abandoning the targets should be off the table. "This is not about leadership. This is not about trying to create some sort of discordant note," he told reporters ahead of the bill's introduction. "There's not anything in this bill that the coalition didn't have the same position we voted for." Mr Joyce has the backing of his former leadership rival Michael McCormack. The two ex-deputy prime ministers are critical of Nationals leader David Littleproud's handling of the aftermath of the election defeat. The coalition reunited at the end of May following a messy week-long split driven by divisions which included energy policy. Climate Change Authority chair Matt Kean, a former deputy leader of the NSW Liberal Party, said "political stunts are no substitutes for real policies". "The voters overwhelmingly gave their verdict on Labor's climate policies, compared with the coalition's, and if Labor's massive majority doesn't send out mandate signals, well you're probably not paying attention," he said. Mr Littleproud's leadership was contested after the election over the party's adoption of the climate target. Liberal MP Garth Hamilton has also backed Nationals MPs trying to jettison the climate target. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson launched her own bid to scrap net zero in the upper house on Monday. But the coalition largely stood united against the issue, with only Nationals senator Matt Canavan and firebrand Liberal Alex Antic voting with the minor party on the motion. Senator Canavan had said One Nation was "catching up" to his colleagues in the Nationals party, specifically Mr Joyce. "I give him credit for doing this: he's put it on the agenda, he's dominating the media discussions," he told the Senate. "We are here to make laws, not just statements, so we've got to repeal this rubbish." Only five out of the coalition's 27 senators showed up for the motion, but one was in the chair and exercised his right not to vote, while Liberal senators Jane Hume and Andrew McLachlan voted against it. A key climate target might be dumped by the coalition as an increasing number of Liberals cast doubt over the future of the opposition's commitment to net zero. Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce on Monday launched a bid to repeal the net-zero emissions by 2050 reduction target. But his private member's bill is guaranteed to fail, because it lacks the support of the government which has a majority in the House of Representatives. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley maintains the coalition will wait until after a review of its disastrous May election loss before making formal policy decisions. Despite a growing number of Liberal politicians speaking out against stronger climate change action, she doubled down on waiting for the review. "We're going to bring all of those views together ... to flesh out the different perspectives, the expert advice and, of course, focus on this government's miserable failure when it comes to energy policy," she told Sky News. Asked about the political impact of dumping the climate target, Ms Ley said she would not foreshadow the review's outcome. Many Liberal moderates want the net-zero target retained so the party is seen to be taking climate action seriously. But Mr Joyce said there was no reason why abandoning the targets should be off the table. "This is not about leadership. This is not about trying to create some sort of discordant note," he told reporters ahead of the bill's introduction. "There's not anything in this bill that the coalition didn't have the same position we voted for." Mr Joyce has the backing of his former leadership rival Michael McCormack. The two ex-deputy prime ministers are critical of Nationals leader David Littleproud's handling of the aftermath of the election defeat. The coalition reunited at the end of May following a messy week-long split driven by divisions which included energy policy. Climate Change Authority chair Matt Kean, a former deputy leader of the NSW Liberal Party, said "political stunts are no substitutes for real policies". "The voters overwhelmingly gave their verdict on Labor's climate policies, compared with the coalition's, and if Labor's massive majority doesn't send out mandate signals, well you're probably not paying attention," he said. Mr Littleproud's leadership was contested after the election over the party's adoption of the climate target. Liberal MP Garth Hamilton has also backed Nationals MPs trying to jettison the climate target. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson launched her own bid to scrap net zero in the upper house on Monday. But the coalition largely stood united against the issue, with only Nationals senator Matt Canavan and firebrand Liberal Alex Antic voting with the minor party on the motion. Senator Canavan had said One Nation was "catching up" to his colleagues in the Nationals party, specifically Mr Joyce. "I give him credit for doing this: he's put it on the agenda, he's dominating the media discussions," he told the Senate. "We are here to make laws, not just statements, so we've got to repeal this rubbish." Only five out of the coalition's 27 senators showed up for the motion, but one was in the chair and exercised his right not to vote, while Liberal senators Jane Hume and Andrew McLachlan voted against it. A key climate target might be dumped by the coalition as an increasing number of Liberals cast doubt over the future of the opposition's commitment to net zero. Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce on Monday launched a bid to repeal the net-zero emissions by 2050 reduction target. But his private member's bill is guaranteed to fail, because it lacks the support of the government which has a majority in the House of Representatives. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley maintains the coalition will wait until after a review of its disastrous May election loss before making formal policy decisions. Despite a growing number of Liberal politicians speaking out against stronger climate change action, she doubled down on waiting for the review. "We're going to bring all of those views together ... to flesh out the different perspectives, the expert advice and, of course, focus on this government's miserable failure when it comes to energy policy," she told Sky News. Asked about the political impact of dumping the climate target, Ms Ley said she would not foreshadow the review's outcome. Many Liberal moderates want the net-zero target retained so the party is seen to be taking climate action seriously. But Mr Joyce said there was no reason why abandoning the targets should be off the table. "This is not about leadership. This is not about trying to create some sort of discordant note," he told reporters ahead of the bill's introduction. "There's not anything in this bill that the coalition didn't have the same position we voted for." Mr Joyce has the backing of his former leadership rival Michael McCormack. The two ex-deputy prime ministers are critical of Nationals leader David Littleproud's handling of the aftermath of the election defeat. The coalition reunited at the end of May following a messy week-long split driven by divisions which included energy policy. Climate Change Authority chair Matt Kean, a former deputy leader of the NSW Liberal Party, said "political stunts are no substitutes for real policies". "The voters overwhelmingly gave their verdict on Labor's climate policies, compared with the coalition's, and if Labor's massive majority doesn't send out mandate signals, well you're probably not paying attention," he said. Mr Littleproud's leadership was contested after the election over the party's adoption of the climate target. Liberal MP Garth Hamilton has also backed Nationals MPs trying to jettison the climate target. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson launched her own bid to scrap net zero in the upper house on Monday. But the coalition largely stood united against the issue, with only Nationals senator Matt Canavan and firebrand Liberal Alex Antic voting with the minor party on the motion. Senator Canavan had said One Nation was "catching up" to his colleagues in the Nationals party, specifically Mr Joyce. "I give him credit for doing this: he's put it on the agenda, he's dominating the media discussions," he told the Senate. "We are here to make laws, not just statements, so we've got to repeal this rubbish." Only five out of the coalition's 27 senators showed up for the motion, but one was in the chair and exercised his right not to vote, while Liberal senators Jane Hume and Andrew McLachlan voted against it.
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Ridiculous': Premier demands disgraced MP's resignation
NSW Premier Chris Minns has demanded disgraced state MP Gareth Ward resign after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two young men. The premier told reporters on Monday it is "ridiculous" that the dumped Liberal-turned-independent for Kiama should stay as a sitting member, and that parliament must protect its integrity. "It is completely ... ridiculous to be in a situation where someone has been, not accused, not charged, but convicted of incredibly serious sexual assault convictions and stay as a member of parliament," Mr Minns said. "You name one workplace in the whole world where that person would continue to be an employee facing that kind of jail time." Following a nine-week trial, Ward was found guilty last Friday of sexual intercourse without consent against a 24-year-old man in 2015, and three counts of indecently assaulting an 18-year-old man in 2013. The scandal-plagued MP vehemently denied the allegations since being charged in 2022. The maximum penalty for sexual intercourse without consent is 14 years' imprisonment. Ward was often seen smiling as he arrived and left court each day, but he left the precinct stone-faced and silent while being chased by the media scrum after the verdict. Within hours, his social media accounts were deactivated. Mr Minns said the government had received legal advice about the Legislative Assembly being able to remove Ward from parliament, even with an appeal pending. He said any action taken by NSW Parliament would not be punitive, but that it must protect its own integrity. Ward, the former minister for families, communities, and disability services, remains on bail and must report to police daily as part of his conditions. Prosecutors will apply to detain him in custody on Wednesday. Mr Minns said many constituents would question whether a convicted sex offender would continue in their role. "Many taxpayers, many voters, would say 'Are you really suggesting that someone who has been convicted of these incredibly serious charges continues on as a member of parliament even when they are in jail?" the premier said. He also praised the victims and said he didn't want their "enormous courage" to get lost in a "political bun fight" over Ward's future career. "If you speak to survivors of this kind of sexual assault, they will tell you that going through the process of reporting it to the police and then a criminal trial turns your life upside down all over again," the premier said. "That should not be forgotten in all this." Both men testified in court about their initial hesitation to come forward to police after grappling for years with self-blame and fear of Ward's power. Despite the convictions, some Kiama residents, including Lyn and John Gibson, expressed their continued support for Ward on Monday. Mrs Gibson said she would "vote for him (Ward) again tomorrow". "We've been very supportive of him," Mr Gibson said. Adam, who asked for his surname not to be published, said he "wasn't comfortable with someone with that sort of conviction representing the community". He believed if Ward didn't resign, it would add "insult to the injury" of the two victims. Lyn and John Brown, who were visiting Kiama from Wollongong, felt Ward should resign immediately. "I feel pleased he was convicted," Mrs Brown said. Kenneth Watson, who has previously handed out election pamphlets for Ward, said he was shocked by the verdict. "He's done a fantastic job as a local member, better than most politicians," Mr Watson said. A by-election will be triggered if a motion is put forward to expel Ward from parliament. The Minns Government and Opposition Leader Mark Speakman both issued statements last Friday calling for the MP to resign, signalling that a motion put forward by the premier is likely to be supported. A successful motion would take immediate effect and would need to be passed by the Legislative Assembly, rather than needing to pass both houses. Without an expulsion motion, Ward would not be automatically disqualified from being an MP until the appeals process has been exhausted. Ward will receive his sentence date on Wednesday. NSW Premier Chris Minns has demanded disgraced state MP Gareth Ward resign after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two young men. The premier told reporters on Monday it is "ridiculous" that the dumped Liberal-turned-independent for Kiama should stay as a sitting member, and that parliament must protect its integrity. "It is completely ... ridiculous to be in a situation where someone has been, not accused, not charged, but convicted of incredibly serious sexual assault convictions and stay as a member of parliament," Mr Minns said. "You name one workplace in the whole world where that person would continue to be an employee facing that kind of jail time." Following a nine-week trial, Ward was found guilty last Friday of sexual intercourse without consent against a 24-year-old man in 2015, and three counts of indecently assaulting an 18-year-old man in 2013. The scandal-plagued MP vehemently denied the allegations since being charged in 2022. The maximum penalty for sexual intercourse without consent is 14 years' imprisonment. Ward was often seen smiling as he arrived and left court each day, but he left the precinct stone-faced and silent while being chased by the media scrum after the verdict. Within hours, his social media accounts were deactivated. Mr Minns said the government had received legal advice about the Legislative Assembly being able to remove Ward from parliament, even with an appeal pending. He said any action taken by NSW Parliament would not be punitive, but that it must protect its own integrity. Ward, the former minister for families, communities, and disability services, remains on bail and must report to police daily as part of his conditions. Prosecutors will apply to detain him in custody on Wednesday. Mr Minns said many constituents would question whether a convicted sex offender would continue in their role. "Many taxpayers, many voters, would say 'Are you really suggesting that someone who has been convicted of these incredibly serious charges continues on as a member of parliament even when they are in jail?" the premier said. He also praised the victims and said he didn't want their "enormous courage" to get lost in a "political bun fight" over Ward's future career. "If you speak to survivors of this kind of sexual assault, they will tell you that going through the process of reporting it to the police and then a criminal trial turns your life upside down all over again," the premier said. "That should not be forgotten in all this." Both men testified in court about their initial hesitation to come forward to police after grappling for years with self-blame and fear of Ward's power. Despite the convictions, some Kiama residents, including Lyn and John Gibson, expressed their continued support for Ward on Monday. Mrs Gibson said she would "vote for him (Ward) again tomorrow". "We've been very supportive of him," Mr Gibson said. Adam, who asked for his surname not to be published, said he "wasn't comfortable with someone with that sort of conviction representing the community". He believed if Ward didn't resign, it would add "insult to the injury" of the two victims. Lyn and John Brown, who were visiting Kiama from Wollongong, felt Ward should resign immediately. "I feel pleased he was convicted," Mrs Brown said. Kenneth Watson, who has previously handed out election pamphlets for Ward, said he was shocked by the verdict. "He's done a fantastic job as a local member, better than most politicians," Mr Watson said. A by-election will be triggered if a motion is put forward to expel Ward from parliament. The Minns Government and Opposition Leader Mark Speakman both issued statements last Friday calling for the MP to resign, signalling that a motion put forward by the premier is likely to be supported. A successful motion would take immediate effect and would need to be passed by the Legislative Assembly, rather than needing to pass both houses. Without an expulsion motion, Ward would not be automatically disqualified from being an MP until the appeals process has been exhausted. Ward will receive his sentence date on Wednesday. NSW Premier Chris Minns has demanded disgraced state MP Gareth Ward resign after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two young men. The premier told reporters on Monday it is "ridiculous" that the dumped Liberal-turned-independent for Kiama should stay as a sitting member, and that parliament must protect its integrity. "It is completely ... ridiculous to be in a situation where someone has been, not accused, not charged, but convicted of incredibly serious sexual assault convictions and stay as a member of parliament," Mr Minns said. "You name one workplace in the whole world where that person would continue to be an employee facing that kind of jail time." Following a nine-week trial, Ward was found guilty last Friday of sexual intercourse without consent against a 24-year-old man in 2015, and three counts of indecently assaulting an 18-year-old man in 2013. The scandal-plagued MP vehemently denied the allegations since being charged in 2022. The maximum penalty for sexual intercourse without consent is 14 years' imprisonment. Ward was often seen smiling as he arrived and left court each day, but he left the precinct stone-faced and silent while being chased by the media scrum after the verdict. Within hours, his social media accounts were deactivated. Mr Minns said the government had received legal advice about the Legislative Assembly being able to remove Ward from parliament, even with an appeal pending. He said any action taken by NSW Parliament would not be punitive, but that it must protect its own integrity. Ward, the former minister for families, communities, and disability services, remains on bail and must report to police daily as part of his conditions. Prosecutors will apply to detain him in custody on Wednesday. Mr Minns said many constituents would question whether a convicted sex offender would continue in their role. "Many taxpayers, many voters, would say 'Are you really suggesting that someone who has been convicted of these incredibly serious charges continues on as a member of parliament even when they are in jail?" the premier said. He also praised the victims and said he didn't want their "enormous courage" to get lost in a "political bun fight" over Ward's future career. "If you speak to survivors of this kind of sexual assault, they will tell you that going through the process of reporting it to the police and then a criminal trial turns your life upside down all over again," the premier said. "That should not be forgotten in all this." Both men testified in court about their initial hesitation to come forward to police after grappling for years with self-blame and fear of Ward's power. Despite the convictions, some Kiama residents, including Lyn and John Gibson, expressed their continued support for Ward on Monday. Mrs Gibson said she would "vote for him (Ward) again tomorrow". "We've been very supportive of him," Mr Gibson said. Adam, who asked for his surname not to be published, said he "wasn't comfortable with someone with that sort of conviction representing the community". He believed if Ward didn't resign, it would add "insult to the injury" of the two victims. Lyn and John Brown, who were visiting Kiama from Wollongong, felt Ward should resign immediately. "I feel pleased he was convicted," Mrs Brown said. Kenneth Watson, who has previously handed out election pamphlets for Ward, said he was shocked by the verdict. "He's done a fantastic job as a local member, better than most politicians," Mr Watson said. A by-election will be triggered if a motion is put forward to expel Ward from parliament. The Minns Government and Opposition Leader Mark Speakman both issued statements last Friday calling for the MP to resign, signalling that a motion put forward by the premier is likely to be supported. A successful motion would take immediate effect and would need to be passed by the Legislative Assembly, rather than needing to pass both houses. Without an expulsion motion, Ward would not be automatically disqualified from being an MP until the appeals process has been exhausted. Ward will receive his sentence date on Wednesday. NSW Premier Chris Minns has demanded disgraced state MP Gareth Ward resign after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two young men. The premier told reporters on Monday it is "ridiculous" that the dumped Liberal-turned-independent for Kiama should stay as a sitting member, and that parliament must protect its integrity. "It is completely ... ridiculous to be in a situation where someone has been, not accused, not charged, but convicted of incredibly serious sexual assault convictions and stay as a member of parliament," Mr Minns said. "You name one workplace in the whole world where that person would continue to be an employee facing that kind of jail time." Following a nine-week trial, Ward was found guilty last Friday of sexual intercourse without consent against a 24-year-old man in 2015, and three counts of indecently assaulting an 18-year-old man in 2013. The scandal-plagued MP vehemently denied the allegations since being charged in 2022. The maximum penalty for sexual intercourse without consent is 14 years' imprisonment. Ward was often seen smiling as he arrived and left court each day, but he left the precinct stone-faced and silent while being chased by the media scrum after the verdict. Within hours, his social media accounts were deactivated. Mr Minns said the government had received legal advice about the Legislative Assembly being able to remove Ward from parliament, even with an appeal pending. He said any action taken by NSW Parliament would not be punitive, but that it must protect its own integrity. Ward, the former minister for families, communities, and disability services, remains on bail and must report to police daily as part of his conditions. Prosecutors will apply to detain him in custody on Wednesday. Mr Minns said many constituents would question whether a convicted sex offender would continue in their role. "Many taxpayers, many voters, would say 'Are you really suggesting that someone who has been convicted of these incredibly serious charges continues on as a member of parliament even when they are in jail?" the premier said. He also praised the victims and said he didn't want their "enormous courage" to get lost in a "political bun fight" over Ward's future career. "If you speak to survivors of this kind of sexual assault, they will tell you that going through the process of reporting it to the police and then a criminal trial turns your life upside down all over again," the premier said. "That should not be forgotten in all this." Both men testified in court about their initial hesitation to come forward to police after grappling for years with self-blame and fear of Ward's power. Despite the convictions, some Kiama residents, including Lyn and John Gibson, expressed their continued support for Ward on Monday. Mrs Gibson said she would "vote for him (Ward) again tomorrow". "We've been very supportive of him," Mr Gibson said. Adam, who asked for his surname not to be published, said he "wasn't comfortable with someone with that sort of conviction representing the community". He believed if Ward didn't resign, it would add "insult to the injury" of the two victims. Lyn and John Brown, who were visiting Kiama from Wollongong, felt Ward should resign immediately. "I feel pleased he was convicted," Mrs Brown said. Kenneth Watson, who has previously handed out election pamphlets for Ward, said he was shocked by the verdict. "He's done a fantastic job as a local member, better than most politicians," Mr Watson said. A by-election will be triggered if a motion is put forward to expel Ward from parliament. The Minns Government and Opposition Leader Mark Speakman both issued statements last Friday calling for the MP to resign, signalling that a motion put forward by the premier is likely to be supported. A successful motion would take immediate effect and would need to be passed by the Legislative Assembly, rather than needing to pass both houses. Without an expulsion motion, Ward would not be automatically disqualified from being an MP until the appeals process has been exhausted. Ward will receive his sentence date on Wednesday.
