Kiama voters chose Gareth Ward after he was charged. This is how they feel now
Now, after Ward was found guilty on Friday of serious sexual offences involving two young men, the community that decided to give the former Liberal minister the benefit of the doubt has declared he must resign.
'The court has made its decision and proven that he's guilty,' retiree Tristan Lazare said on Tuesday. 'He's hurt people. Those scars will last a lifetime.'
The 75-year-old's comments were echoed in more emphatic terms by teacher Alecia Zoccoli.
'He absolutely should resign,' she said. 'Anyone with a sketchy idea of right and wrong shouldn't be a member of parliament.'
Ward, elected in 2011, has so far refused to quit despite pressure from Premier Chris Minns and Liberal leader Mark Speakman to go.
Under the NSW parliament's Constitution, an MP convicted of a crime punishable with a prison term of more than five years will have their seat vacated, although the process will be put on hold pending an appeal.
Ward will almost certainly be expelled, potentially as soon as early next week, after the government and opposition indicated they would support a motion to do so. On Wednesday, the Crown will seek a detention application, potentially putting Ward behind bars.
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News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
More pressure mounts on rapist MP Gareth Ward to resign
Minister for the Illawarra Ryan Park has joined calls for convicted rapist and Kiama MP Gareth to resign from NSW parliament, urging him to 'do the right thing'. Ward was taken into custody on remand on Wednesday while awaiting sentencing after he was found guilty by a jury of three counts of indecent assault and a fourth count of intercourse without consent. The charges relate to acts against two young men – an 18-year-old at Meroo Meadow in 2013 and a 24-year-old man in Potts Point in 2015 – and sparked calls for the independent south coast MP to resign from parliament. Amid growing calls for Ward to resign from parliament, Mr Park, the member for Keira and Health Minister, said on Friday the matter would 'without a doubt' change the political landscape in the Illawarra. 'I echo what the Premier has said and what I think the community expects, and that is, I think Mr Ward should do the right thing and resign,' he said. 'I think after that, it will be a matter for the community. There will obviously be a process determined through the Electoral Commission, and then we'll let that process take its course.' Mr Park said he spoke 'on behalf of the community' when he spoke of the 'brave victims'. 'They're the people that I'm worried about the most,' he told reporters. 'To bring forward this issue and bring forward evidence, and to bring forward these charges, has no doubt resolved or brought up a lot of difficult things for those individuals and our community. 'At the moment we should be worried about those two people because I'll be honest, to do this would not have been easy, and I have got a great degree of admiration for those people involved and a great degree of sorrow. ' Premier Chris Minns has also called on Ward to resign. 'It is completely ridiculous to be in a situation where someone has been not accused, not charged, but convicted of incredibly serious offences and stay as a member of parliament,' he said on Monday. 'I haven't spoken to all of my colleagues, and I haven't spoken to the crossbench or the opposition about it, but it would seem ridiculous that he would continue as a member of parliament.' Mr Minns confirmed the parliament had the power to remove Ward but noted it was important that the Legislative Assembly's decision 'is not punitive'. 'The punitive measure is up to the NSW court. It's not up to parliament,' he said. 'They'll make the decision about what punishment is applied, not us.'
Sky News AU
6 hours ago
- Sky News AU
‘Inappropriate': Liberal MP Moira Deeming tables petition to block bronze statue of former Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews
A petition tabled by Liberal MP Moira Deeming to block the 'inappropriate' bronze statue honouring former Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews has received 12,644 signatures. The petition was presented on Tuesday and calls for the plans to commission a statue for the former Premier, described in the petition as a "divisive political figure", to be cancelled. A response is due on August 28. The petition says that it is 'inappropriate to erect statues of living politicians' and insists public monuments should be reserved only for those whose legacies have been 'tested over time' and considered 'unifying'. 'There remains unresolved allegations regarding Daniel Andrews' management and handling of human rights during the state's pandemic response, lockdowns, and use of enforcement powers. These issues should be fully resolved before any public honour is considered,' the petition says. The petition said the former Premier was also the subject of ongoing 'public concern' over a traffic incident relating to the serious injury of a teenager in 2013. Mr Andrews has denied any wrongdoing in relation to the incident and has always maintained his car was 'T-boned' by the teenaged cyclist. 'Questions persist regarding Daniel Andrews' actions, including delays in reporting the incident and concerns about a possible political cover-up, raising serious doubts about accountability in public office,' it said. 'Spending taxpayer money on a political monument, particularly for a figure whose legacy remains contested, is inappropriate during a time of economic hardship and community division.' Speaking to Ms Deeming said she was "honoured" to bring the petition and would never deny her constituents the tabling of it - "that's democracy". The Liberal MP said commissioning the statue with taxpayer's money risks 'deepening distrust' with the public, and undermining confidence that the government was prioritising the needs of Victorians. "I suspect the cost of repairs and graffiti removal in the first six months alone, will be enough to lose us our AA Credit Rating," Ms Deeming said. The petition statement concluded: "The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to cancel any plans to commission or install a statue of former Premier the Hon. Daniel Andrews, particularly if any form of public funds or private funding is to be used." "Commemorating a living and divisive political figure whose legacy remains subject to scrutiny breaks with long-standing convention." If the statue is erected, Mr Andrews will become the fifth Victorian premier to receive be honoured in bronze and will stand beside John Cain Jr, Rupert Hamer, Henry Bolte and Albert Dunstan. Premier Jacinta Allen declined to comment on the petition, including the cost and location of the statue. 'Former Liberal premier Jeff Kennett introduced a policy to install statues of former Victorian premiers who serve 3000 days or more in office, in recognition of their long service to Victoria,' she said. 'I am advised that the process of installing a statue of Former Premier Daniel Andrews, who served over 3000 days in office, is under way.' As the petition received more than 10,000 votes, parliamentary standing orders will allow a debate on the matter.
West Australian
7 hours ago
- West Australian
Australian news and politics live: Opposition responds to rising espionage threats to AUKUS after ASIO warning
Scroll down for the latest news and updates. Liberal Senator Jane Hume has called for heightened vigilance in light of the growing intelligence threat around AUKUS, Australia's trilateral defence pact with the US and UK. It comes after ASIO chief Mike Burgess warned that foreign espionage has reached 'unprecedented levels and sophistication,' with nations showing 'very unhealthy interest in AUKUS.' 'This process (of annual ASIO warnings) is part of the educative response. People in those departments should know this as part of their security clearance training,' Ms Hume told Sunrise on Friday morning. 'AUKUS is such an important strategic agreement. It's got so much potency, power, and potential that foreign actors are trying to access that information any way they can. We should be on heightened alert. 'This speaks to the strength of the agreement and why we should not just embrace it, but strengthen it with both the UK and the US.'
