Gareth Ward | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ward in 2018 | |
| Member of theNew South Wales Parliament forKiama | |
| Assumed office 26 March 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Matt Brown |
| Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services | |
| In office 2 April 2019 – 14 May 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Pru Goward(asMinister for Family and Community Services) Ray Williams(asMinister for Disability Services) |
| Succeeded by | Alister Henskens |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1981 (age 43–44) Gerringong, New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party |
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| Residence | Meroo Meadow[1] |
| Education | Bomaderry High School |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation |
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| Website | www |
Gareth James Ward is an Australian politician who was theNew South WalesMinister for Families, Communities and Disability Services in thesecond Berejiklian ministry from 2019 to 2021.[2][3] Ward is a member of theNew South Wales Legislative Assembly and has represented the seat ofKiama since2011. He was suspended from NSW parliament in March 2022 until the end of that term in March 2023, after being charged with sexual intercourse without consent, and indecent assault.[4]
Ward was also previously the Parliamentary Secretary for Education, in addition to his role as the Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra and South Coast from 2017 until 2019. Previously, Ward was acouncillor onShoalhaven City Council from 2004 until 2012.[5]
Ward was born withalbinism and is legally blind.[6][7]
Ward was bornc. 1981[8] in theIllawarra region and completed his schooling atBomaderry High School. He holds degrees incommerce andarts from theUniversity of Wollongong andBachelor of Laws from theUniversity of New England, and aMaster of Laws from theUniversity of Sydney. He holds a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from theAustralian National University, and is an Admitted Solicitor in the Supreme Court of NSW and the High Court of Australia.[9] From 2001 to 2006, Ward was on the Council of theWollongong Undergraduate Students' Association at the university, and was involved with theAustralian Liberal Students Federation.
On 27 March 2004 Ward was elected to theShoalhaven City Council as anindependent councillor representing the northern parts of Shoalhaven. He was re-elected on 13 September 2008 and was appointed deputy mayor in the same month.[10]
On 12 April 2010, Ward was preselected as the Liberal candidate for Kiama. It was reported that he gained preselection in a 20–12 vote against the previous candidate,Ann Sudmalis.[11] At the 2011 state election, Ward was elected with a swing of 19.4 points and won the seat with 57.5 per cent of the vote on atwo-party basis.[12] Ward's main opponent was the incumbent sitting Labor member and former Minister,Matt Brown.
In April 2015, Ward was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra and South Coast after PremierMike Baird abolished the former position of Minister for the Illawarra.[13] In March 2017, Ward was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary for Education.[14] Ward retained his existing responsibilities as the Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra and South Coast.
Following the2019 state election Ward was appointed as Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services in the Second Berejiklian ministry.[3][15][16]
He is currently awaiting trial on charges of sexual and indecent assault. In February 2023 he announced that he would be contesting his seat as an independent at the2023 state election, "to stand up for the principles and values that are worth fighting for".[17]
He was re-elected as an independent in the2023 New South Wales state election.[18]
In September 2017 Ward claimed to have been the target of an attempted mugging in New York City while staying at the Intercontinental Hotel.[19] Ward claimed to have booked a male masseur for a massage, which was reported as a "special massage". In conflicting reports, it was claimed he "called a phone number provided by an acquaintance",[20] but others maintained that he ordered "the massage online from an outside service".[21] When two men turned up and announced that both of them were minors, Ward told them to leave. He then claimed the duo became aggressive and demanded US$1000 before they would leave. While luring the men down to the lobby under the guise of retrieving money from an ATM, Ward alerted hotel staff and the men fled. CCTV images were circulated but no arrests have been made.[22]
In September 2018 Ward was described in federal parliament by his fellow Liberal colleague,Ann Sudmalis, as leading a campaign of "bullying, betrayal and backstabbing" against her while she was a representative. The allegations were expanded to include branch stacking of local Liberal branches, and installing people hostile to Sudmalis on her electoral committee. She described his determination as to "annihilate anyone who opposed him" with his motivation being "Gareth's narcissistic revenge". Sudmalis went on to accuse him of misogynistic behaviour and raised several examples of where he had actively opposed and campaigned against female Liberals on the South Coast.[23]
In July 2024, Ward arrived at Parliament House at 4 am to retrieve his spare house keys after locking himself out of his apartment at Potts Point. He denied being drunk or wearing only underwear.[24] PremierChris Minns has asked for a full explanation.[25]
On 14 May 2021 Ward resigned from his portfolio and moved to the crossbench after identifying himself as the state MP subject to an inquiry by the child abuse and sex crimes squad of theNew South Wales Police Force.[26] Ward has denied the allegations.[27][28]
On 22 March 2022 Ward was charged with three counts of indecent assault, one count each of sexual intercourse without consent, and one count of common assault. He allegedly indecently assaulted a 17-year-old boy atMeroo Meadow in February 2013 and sexually abused a 27-year-old man inSydney in September 2015. Ward was granted conditional bail to appear at Port Kembla Local Court on 18 May. The NSW Premier called for his resignation fromParliament and said that if Ward did not resign, theGovernment would move a motion to remove him from Parliament.[29] On 24 March 2022, he was suspended from parliament after a motion to do so was passed unanimously in the Legislative Assembly.[30] On 19 August 2022, Ward was committed to stand trial for sexual and indecent assault.[31] His trial will commence in May 2025.[32] Ward was narrowly elected as an independent in the2023 New South Wales state election, suffering a 10.7% swing against him.[33] The NSW government decided to follow the advice of parliament's privileges and ethics committee not to extend Ward's suspension into his new term.[34]
| New South Wales Legislative Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member forKiama 2011–present | Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded byasMinister for Family and Community Services | Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services 2019–2021 | Succeeded by |