Jailed rapist refuses to quit Australian state parliament
New South Wales state politician Gareth Ward (pic) was last month found guilty of sexually abusing two young men, aged 18 and 24, between 2013 and 2015.
The 44-year-old right-leaning politician has refused to stand down from state parliament, despite sitting in prison while awaiting sentencing for his crimes.
State Premier Chris Minns said Ward had "no shame", pledging to move a motion that would expel him from parliament.
But Ward has so far stymied these efforts, obtaining a temporary injunction late on Monday that prevented the Labor government from removing him.
Leader of the House Ron Hoenig said the government would seek an urgent hearing this week to have the injunction lifted.
"The issue is, as you would appreciate, of considerable significance," Hoenig told reporters on Tuesday.
"The house needs to be able to make its judgement to protect itself. And we will be seeking a review of the judge's decision."
Ward said he planned to appeal his convictions, and should remain in parliament until this appeal is heard. -
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Australia's new measures to strengthen education ties with Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: Australia's newly announced measures to boost Southeast Asian student enrolments from 2026 will create more opportunities for Malaysians to study at its universities and further strengthen the countries' longstanding higher education ties. Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, Danielle Heinecke, said the new measures from next year aim to attract more international students from Southeast Asia, including Malaysia. She said Malaysia and Australia share a longstanding partnership in higher education, with strong institutional links, student mobility, and alumni networks built over decades. "Australia remains one of the most popular destinations for Malaysian students with more than 13,000 Malaysians currently studying in Australia. "The Australian government is prioritising Southeast Asia, this is great news for Malaysian students wanting a high-quality Australian education and student experience. "New efforts to boost the number of students will strengthen our people-to-people links and encourage more investment in Malaysia," she said in a statement. To date, around 500,000 Malaysians have pursued their studies with Australia's world-class education providers. Besides that, four Australian universities – Monash University Malaysia, Curtin University, Swinburne University of Technology and University of Wollongong – operate campuses in Malaysia, reflecting the strength of our education ties. On Aug 4, the Australian Government announced it would increase the number of international student places next year and introduce new measures to boost enrolments from Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries. Under the new framework, a National Planning Level of 295,000 international student places will be introduced for 2026, representing a 9 per cent increase from 270,000 places in 2025. The Australian High Commission stated that Australia's public universities will be able to apply to increase their international student allocations for 2026, by demonstrating an increased engagement with Southeast Asia, through their education offerings, partnerships, campuses, alumni and scholarships. "As part of the reforms, universities will also be required to provide additional student accommodation to ensure both domestic and international students have access to safe and secure student housing. "These changes reflect the Australian government's commitment to building stronger ties with Southeast Asia, consistent with the strategy Invested: Australia's Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040," it said.
The Star
10 hours ago
- The Star
Final hurdle cleared for Thailand's first law to protect ethnic groups' way of life
BANGKOK: The House of Representatives on Wednesday (Aug 6) approved changes made by the Senate to a bill, clearing the final hurdle for the enactment of Thailand's first law to guarantee the rights and protect the way of life of ethnic minority groups. House approves Senate changes The House cast 421 votes to approve the Senate's changes to the Bill on the Protection and Promotion of the Way of Life of Ethnic Groups, with no votes against. The Senate had approved the third reading of the bill on January 8, making changes to certain wordings but not altering the bill's core principles. One key change was replacing the term 'groups of people' with 'Thais' in the definition of ethnic groups. Key changes in the Bill The Senate's revision defined ethnic groups as Thai people who live together as one or several groups, originating and residing in Thailand. They share a collective identity and have developed cultures, languages, ways of life, wisdom, and beliefs based on common traditions or a historical and cultural continuity connected to Thai society. Additionally, in Chapter 5, the Senate replaced the term 'charter' with 'rules' in provisions related to governing zones designated for protecting the way of life of ethnic groups. - Photo: The Nation/ANN Bill moves to Royal command Since the Senate's changes were considered significant, the House had to decide whether to approve or reject them. With the House's approval, the bill will now be submitted for royal command to be enacted into law. Paetongtarn congratulates ethnic groups Suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, also serving as Culture Minister, congratulated the ethnic groups after the House approved the bill. "Today marks a key milestone for Thai society," Paetongtarn said. "This is what the ethnic groups have been waiting for—to guarantee their cultural rights, as well as their opportunities and quality of life with pride and dignity." Promoting cultural diversity and equality Paetongtarn further stated that the bill would help promote the potential of ethnic groups based on their culture, while ensuring their way of life is protected. The bill's passage sends a message to the world that Thailand embraces cultural diversity with equality and acceptance for all groups. 'I would like to congratulate the ethnic people for this milestone where Thai society will embrace all cultural groups as constructive forces for our country,' Paetongtarn added. Key principles of the Bill The bill focuses on the protection and promotion of cultural rights, as stated in Article 70 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (B.E. 2560). It has three main principles: Protection of cultural rights: Safeguarding all ethnic groups from rights violations and ensuring access to basic rights. Promotion of ethnic groups' potential: Creating opportunities for development. Equality: Ensuring fair and equal treatment for all. Five key points of the Bill The bill contains five key points: Basic rights and protection: Ensures ethnic groups' rights and freedoms, preventing discrimination based on race (Sections 5-12). Integrated management mechanism: Establishes a Committee for the Protection and Promotion of Ethnic Group Lifestyles chaired by the Prime Minister, with representatives from relevant agencies, ethnic groups, experts, and development organizations (Sections 13-20). Ethnic group participation: Creates the National Ethnic Group Life Protection and Promotion Council to serve as a coordination and knowledge exchange center (Sections 21-31). Ethnic group database: Establishes a national database to protect and promote ethnic group lifestyles (Sections 32-36). Positive measures: Implements co-management areas for ethnic group lifestyles, respecting community rights while conserving resources (Sections 37-42). - The Nation/ANN
The Star
12 hours ago
- The Star
Lee Hsien Loong receives Australia's highest civilian honour for advancing bilateral ties
SINGAPORE: Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong has received Australia's highest civilian honour, the Order of Australia, for his contributions toward growing its bilateral relationship with Singapore. Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn, who is on a state visit to Singapore, conferred on Lee the award of Honorary Companion in the General Division of The Order of Australia at an investiture ceremony on Tuesday (Aug 5). A citation from the Prime Minister's Office, Australia, said that 'throughout his 40-year political career, and particularly as Prime Minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2024, Lee has made significant contributions to advancing Australia-Singapore relations'. 'He has been a strong and influential advocate for closer ties between our two countries and has consistently driven agreements and initiatives which encourage stronger and mutually beneficial relationships,' the citation added. The economic relationship between Australia and Singapore has grown enormously during Lee's term as PM, the citation said, with Singapore becoming Australia's largest trading partner and investor in South-East Asia. The citation noted how Lee oversaw and drove six revisions of the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) – Canberra's first bilateral FTA with an Asian country – to keep it up to date and 'anticipate change through new technologies and supply chain vulnerabilities'. He oversaw the development of the 2015 Australia-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which serves as a broad-ranging agreement to deepen collaboration between both countries, it said. He also actively welcomed and supported defence and security partnerships between the two countries, which have contributed to regional peace and security, and advocated strongly for Australia's inclusion in key regional forums, the citation said. It added: 'Lee's eminent service to the Australia-Singapore bilateral relationship is thoroughly worthy of formal national recognition'. Lee was accompanied by his wife at the ceremony, held at the residence of the Australian High Commissioner. Also present were Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sim Ann, and North West District Mayor Alex Yam, who is also chairman of the Singapore-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group. In a speech after the investiture, Lee thanked the Australian government for the honour and said he was 'deeply humbled to receive the award'. 'I do so on behalf of the generations of Singaporeans and Australians who have worked hard to strengthen the partnership between our two nations over the past six decades,' he added. He noted that Australia had been a steadfast friend to Singapore over the years, being among the first to recognise the Republic's independence, and the first to establish diplomatic relations with it. The bonds have only deepened, he said. Security relations, which began with the Five Power Defence Arrangements in 1971, have grown over the years, with Australia welcoming the Singapore Armed Forces to train in the country. This year is the 35th anniversary of Exercise Wallaby, the SAF's largest overseas unilateral exercise, in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland. And as both sides celebrate the 10th anniversary of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025, Lee said he looks forward to its next bound and upgrade, when Prime Minister Lawrence Wong visits Australia for the 10th annual leaders' meeting later this year. Australia and Singapore have achieved a lot bilaterally and regionally, despite being very different countries, added Lee, who cited former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's description of the two as 'a wide brown land and a little red dot'. 'It is fundamentally about our shared values, our compatible perspectives of the world, and a deep reservoir of trust built up over the years. We both believe in the importance of an open, inclusive and rules-based multilateral order,' said Lee. 'Our societies are multicultural, diverse, and pragmatic. Australian leaders from both sides of the political aisle appreciate that Australia's future is deeply intertwined with our region's, while Singapore has consistently sought to be a steadfast partner and pathfinder for Australia's engagement in South-East Asia.' Lee added: 'These deep and extensive ties did not come about by chance. They are the fruit of sustained hard work, political will, and mutual trust built through weathering tough times together. 'I am privileged to have played a modest part in strengthening this relationship. I am confident that Singapore and Australia's friendship will continue to blossom and grow.' Former Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong was awarded the Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia in 2005, for his contribution to Australia-Singapore ties. Former foreign minister George Yeo, Stamford Land Corporation executive chairman Ow Chio Kiat and former police commissioner Khoo Boon Hui are among past recipients of the award of Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia, for their contribution to relations between the two countries. - The Straits Times/ANN
