An Australian politician convicted of rape is fighting his prison cell to remain a member of the NSW (NSW) state parliament.
Last month, Gareth Ward, who was convicted of two young men at his home between 2013 and 2015, was now being tried for a verdict.
The NSW parliament plans to expel the 44-year-old this week after it refuses to resign after a guilty sentence.
But Ward’s lawyers (planned to appeal his conviction) said they would seek an injunction at a Supreme Court hearing Thursday to prevent Kiama’s independent members from being forced.
NSW Prime Minister Chris Minns told local radio stations 2GB on Tuesday.
He repeated calls for Ward to resign from the state legislature, calling it “the first and most obvious choice.”
“It’s an unreasonable situation to have a person currently sitting in jail at Silverwater who is convicted of a serious sexual offence, demanding to become a member of parliament and continue to be paid,” Minnes said.
Opposition leader Mark Speakman joins calling on Ward to resign.
Ward, the head of the NSW liberals, said: “Every day, he’s in his prison cell every day, taxpayers provide primer for his bills, and the people of Kiama are silent.
Ward, in a statement after his conviction, but before his bail was revoked, said his verdict on the jury was “absolutely collapsed” and spent time with his family.
“I am making suggestions about the next step, but I can confirm that I have provided instructions to the legal team to prepare for the appeal as soon as possible,” the statement said.
Ward resigned from the position of state government minister when he appeared in 2021 and resigned from the Liberal Party, but refused to leave parliament and was reelected as a member of Kiama in 2023.
The NSW government had previously considered a vote to evict Ward – who has been a state MP since 2011 – but legal advice suggests that it could potentially harm his trial.
If Ward is expelled from parliament, it will spark a by-election in the South Coast town of Kiama and vote in weeks.
Ward was scheduled to be sentenced to three counts of indecent assault and one count of rape next month.
