New South Wales (NSW) Liberal MP Gareth Ward has been charged by police with the alleged historic sexual abuse of a man and a teenage boy.
Ward, the sitting member for Kiama, is alleged to have committed three charges of assault with acts of indecency and one account each of alleged sexual intercourse without consent and alleged common assault. The rape charge carries a maximum jail term of 14 years.
The 40-year-old attended Oaks Flats Police Station on Tuesday and has denied all charges. Police confirmed he has been granted conditional bail and is due to face Port Kembla Court in May.
“I will be instructing my lawyers to seek to bring this matter before the courts as quickly as possible, and I look forward to demonstrating my innocence there,” he said on Tuesday.
“While others have already attempted to prosecute my case in the media rather than the courts, out of respect for our system of justice, I will not be doing the same.
“Accordingly, I will be making no further comment at this time.”
It was revealed in May 2021 that Ward was under investigation by police, and following the announcement, Ward resigned from the government and moved to the crossbench.
Detectives alleged Ward indecently assaulted a 17-year-old boy at Meroo Meadow in February 2013 and sexually harassed a 27-year-old man in Sydney in September 2015.
He was serving as Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services under former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian at the time the accusation was made.
Incumbent NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet on Tuesday afternoon said that if Ward did not resign, the government would move a motion to remove Ward from parliament.
“While Mr Ward is entitled to the presumption of innocence, as any citizen is, the standards expected of an elected Member of Parliament are not compatible with the seriousness of the charges he is facing,” Perrottet said.
“Following discussion with the Acting Premier, I have therefore attempted to contact the Kiama MP to seek his resignation from the Parliament with immediate effect.”
Perrottet added he had also asked the Liberal Party’s state director to suspend Ward from the party until the outcome of his criminal is released.
Deputy Premier Paul Toole, who is acting for Perrottet while he is on leave, noted Perrottet’s attempts to contact Ward have all been unsuccessful.
“We expect the highest standards from our employees that are elected to come into this place. Our communities expect the highest standards. I’ll make it very clear that we have asked the member for Kiama to resign,” Toole said on Tuesday.
