Gareth Ward Finally Faces Court
Member for Kiama and former Shoalhaven City Councillor Gareth Ward will appear before the Downing Centre District Court in Sydney today over several allegations of sexual assault between 2013 and 2015.
The Crown will allege Ward indecently assaulted a 17-year-old boy at Meroo Meadow near Bomaderry in February 2013, and allegedly sexually assaulted a 27-year-old man in Sydney in September 2015.
Ward, 43, has denied all allegations and previously pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent, three counts of assault with an act of indecency, and common assault.
Investigations into the sexual misconduct allegations were revealed in 2021 and, on May 14, 2021, Mr Ward resigned from the Liberal Party and his ministerial role to join the cross bench as an independent.
Four years later, this highly-anticipated jury trial is likely to make salacious headlines for several weeks.
Here is a summary of the key moments in Gareth Ward's scandal-plagued political history as reported by a variety of media outlets whose attention Mr Ward has enthusiastically courted throughout his career.
2004: Youngest councillor in Shoalhaven
At 22, Ward was elected as an independent councillor to Shoalhaven City Council. He was re-elected in 2008 and served as Deputy Mayor from 2008 to 2010.
2006: The Food Fight
Gareth Ward's first public skirmish occurred in April 2006 during his tenure as a councillor on Shoalhaven City Council. The incident was reportedly preceded by a series of contentious emails between the two councillors, with John Wilmott allegedly calling Ward a "little twerp," to which Ward retorted by criticising Wilmott's spelling.
As reported by Graeme Gibson in Beyond Fear and Loathing and confirmed by Gareth Ward in the Sydney Morning Herald.
"In 2006, during a committee meeting, Councillor John Willmott became infuriated with Ward and threw a bowl of tomato sauce at him. Ward cleaned himself up, but when a reporter from the South Coast Register arrived, he reapplied the tomato sauce for the photo opportunity.''
The newspaper image caption noted that the sloppy scene was recreated. Another councillor at the time observed that Ward did not report the incident to police but "Gareth reaped a publicity bonanza" after the second serving of sauce was reapplied somewhat excessively.
ABC News
2011 -2021: A Liberal in State Parliament
Ward transitioned to state politics in 2011, winning the seat of Kiama as a Liberal Party candidate achieving a swing of 19.4 points securing 57.5% of the vote. In 2019, he was appointed Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services. Legally blind due to albinism, Ward was the first NSW Minister for Disability Services with a disability and "lived" insight into the challenges faced by people with disabilities.
2017 - The New York Massage Scam
Gareth Ward's first significant public scandal occurred in September 2017 during a trip to New York City. While staying at the InterContinental Hotel, Ward reported to police that he was the target of an extortion attempt. He had arranged for a massage, but the situation escalated when two men arrived, offering "additional services", and claimed to be underage. The pair filmed Ward and demanded $1,000, threatening to release the footage online. Ward, who is legally blind, sought help from the concierge while the blackmailers fled and were never caught.
Joshua Robertson
2020: "Naked and disoriented" after general anaesthesia
In March 2020 Police discovered Ward naked and disoriented outside his Potts Point apartment late at night. Ward attributed his confusion to the effects of general anaesthetic following a medical procedure earlier that day. An hour later, officers were called again to respond to reports of Ward wandering the building in his underwear, but Ward declined medical assistance.
state political reporter Ashleigh Raper
2021 - Police investigations revealed
Ward resigned from his position of Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services and left the Liberal Party in May 2021 after admitting he was under investigation by NSW Police for alleged sexual violence offences dating back to 2013. He denied wrongdoing but stepped down and moved to the crossbench - a decision supported by then Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
ABC News
2022: Charged and suspended, with pay
NSW MP Gareth Ward was charged with historical sexual offences involving a teenage boy and a man. The charges included three counts of assault with an act of indecency, one count of sexual intercourse without consent, and one count of common assault allegedly occurring in 2013 and 2015
Then Premier Dominic Perrottet called for Mr Ward to resign from parliament, saying he would take steps to remove Ward unless he resigned. Opposition leader Chris Minns said Labor would support a motion to expel Mr Ward from the parliament.
Ward was suspended prohibiting access to the parliamentary precincts, participation, or representation of Kiama until criminal proceedings were finalised. However, Ward was still permitted to access his electorate office and retain his full salary and entitlements while acting as an MP and engaging with constituents.
2023: Elected as an Independent, barely
In the 2023 New South Wales state election, Gareth Ward was re-elected as the Member for Kiama, after running as an independent candidate. Despite facing serious legal charges and a suspension from parliament in 2022, Ward secured a narrow victory over Labor challenger Katelin McInerney receiving 38.79% of the first-preference votes and 50.76% of the two-candidate-preferred vote.
Following his re-election, the New South Wales Parliament's privileges and ethics committee examined the unique circumstances and decided not to suspend Ward again, citing concerns about potential legal and constitutional issues. As a result, Ward has remained a sitting member of parliament while awaiting trial.
WATCH this excellent coverage of the 2023 situation on The Project
https://youtu.be/AuhOmyPDAXk?si=iMz_p2Q5gCsO1Ur1
2024 - Captain Underpants, again
In July 2024, Gareth Ward arrived at the NSW Parliament at 4am wearing just a T-shirt, underwear, and socks. He explained that a noise at the rear of his Potts Point apartment has woken him and, upon investigating, he accidentally locked himself out. Without his phone and unable to contact a locksmith, Ward said he decided to jog to Parliament to retrieve a spare key from his office.
Ward denied allegations that he was intoxicated or injured during the incident, calling such claims defamatory.
The incident prompted Premier Chris Minns to express serious concerns that such behavior was "far from appropriate in a workplace" and would not be acceptable in other professional settings. Consequently, the matter was referred to the NSW Parliament Privileges and Ethics Committee to determine if Ward's actions breached parliamentary conduct standards.
In December 2024, that committee concluded its investigation, unanimously determining that Ward's actions did not warrant further action.
Jen White
Choosing friends unwisely?
Despite intense public scrutiny, Ward has continued his open association with former Pittwater MP Rory Amon.
Amon, the former Member for Pittwater who Gareth Ward supported and lobbied for preselection, was arrested and charged on 30 August 2024 in relation to alleged historical sex offences with a minor. The charges related to incidents alleging Mr Amon communicated with a 13 year old boy over a dating app and subsequently met him at Mona Vale for sexual encounters in 2017. Mr Amon has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was released on strict conditional bail. Amon was this month arrested and held overnight for breach of bail.
In December 2024, both Ward and Amon were seen vacationing together in Perth, Western Australia, alongside a senior NSW government bureaucrat. This joint appearance attracted media attention due to the serious legal charges both individuals were facing at the time.
After successfully applying for a delay in 2024, Gareth Ward's trial starting today will be presided over by Judge Stephen Hanley SC, with jury selection anticipated to take several days before proceedings officially begin.
