NOT Another Gareth Ward Story
Another day, another tone-deaf, self-important pollie clinging to power. How much more abuse and neglect can Kiama's people take?
by Cat Holloway /
Kiama's community is understandably experiencing a crisis of confidence in democracy with the region's MP convicted on three counts of indecent assault and one count of rape.
But, as abuse survivors can testify, vulnerability and fear among voters is a dangerous point to start from in the search for a new political leader.
Wait... shouldn't we actually be talking about the brave abuse victims instead of narcissistic abusers?
I recently watched a documentary and heard these hauntingly familiar words:
"The charisma, it kind of sucked me in.
He was confident, charming, funny."
"He preached doom and gloom."
"He became a person that raved and ranted."
"He became quite drunk with power."
"It starts with just a touch, then another touch ... then it gets worse... and you don't want to disappoint."
Given the traumatic and lurid details oft repeated during Gareth Ward's trial or in debate over Mark Latham's behaviour, you could be excused for thinking the documentary was about an egomaniacal politician who hurt others to get what he wanted.
But it wasn't about politics at all. It was about religious cults.
The Cult of Personality in Politics
Political loyalty shares many traits with devotion to spiritual cults.
There's the long-term grooming of targets as an audience that is (or can be made to feel) emotionally unsettled and looking for a "strongman" to solve problems.
Charisma plus scandal equals public attention that gets mistaken for strength.
There's the "love bombing" of praise, attention and welcoming arms to volunteers and campaigners who feel like part of a family.
There's the blaming and vilifying of critics as external threats or dangerous enemies - the construction of an "us vs. them" worldview.
There's the rationalising of a leader's bad behaviour, even criminal wrongdoing.
It's "against God" the cult leader cries in much the same way that extreme political operatives poke at "traitors" for being "un-Australian".
Followers treat independent reporting with skepticism and disdain, relying instead on direct messages from the leader or party-aligned platforms.
There's the flooding of communication channels with slogans, distortions, or emotional appeals that drown out nuance.
The devil is in the details. But salvation is in the specifics.
At its most frightening, political power is like a true cult when it convinces members to act against their own interest and safety.
Most religious groups are, of course, not cults and instead play extremely positive, self-sacrificing roles in our society.
The same can be said of most politicians, who work hard to benefit their constituents, not to further their personal agenda.
But as personality and individualism is inextricably tied to popularity, politics can play dangerous games with our minds, cultivating a commitment to a shared political agenda that trumps moral accountability.
The best way to avoid being groomed into a cult of personality, is to recognise it early, and call it out - loudly.
Seek out leadership that invites transparency, encourages debate, and is grounded in service, not spectacle.
Beware of emotionally charged rhetoric. Value reason and integrity.
Question both populist manipulation and elitist disdain.
These are skills Kiama voters may need to hone and apply very soon, since the region is likely heading for a by-election.
Kiama: your neighbours in Shoalhaven, and around Australia, are cheering you on.
Because we all need to take responsibility for the harsh truth behind that cliche "Get the representation you deserve."
Keep a Media Watch
Voting for the policies not the politician might sound dead obvious, but along with our human tendencies, our media can make that difficult to achieve.
Political journalists, and their editorial chiefs, have a lot to answer for in this regard.
Traditionally, political reporters depend on competing for close access to politicians. But it is that very closeness that makes journalists far less likely to independently scrutinise and criticise the people in power.
This dangerous conflict of interest defines a massive proportion of the news we digest with political topics usually leading our bulletins and commanding the overall news cycle.
A politician's success needs the spotlight. But all that attention is feeding the beast and exacerbating exactly the kind of arrogant - or shamelessly aggressive - entitlement that leads some to abuse their positions.
More than two thirds of the population say they are uninterested in political news.
A Canberra University survey in 2024 found most political reporting was too complicated and driven by conflict with widespread corruption amplifying distrust.
Respondents said political coverage was too focused on personalities and private lives, and not enough on policy substance and election promises.
Key suggestions for more constructive political coverage were: less jargon and insider talk between journalists on internal party issues; less focus on who is winning or losing; and more attention on what the country needs.
In short, ditch the personality cults and get clear on policy detail.
That says to me that our media should give much less airtime to politicians hammering empty slogans like "Getting Things Done" or "Make America Great Again".
Instead they must assign more space to talking to community leaders, ordinary punters and qualified experts in their fields about the actual issues behind the sensational headlines.
Cults, politics and our need for meaning, connection, certainty.
Right now, the big issue we should be discussing is how sexual assault against men is far more common than most of us realise - and far more hidden.
I urge you to read this recent article in The Conversation.
Sarah Bendall
"In Australia, it’s estimated almost one in five boys (18.8%) experience child sexual abuse. And at least one in 16 men (6.1%) experience sexual violence after age 15.
However, many boys and men don’t tell others about these experiences. Studies show men are less likely to disclose sexual abuse and assaults than women.
It also takes boys and men longer to first disclose sexual abuse or assaults. On average, men wait 21 years before telling anyone about being abused."
The study confronts our complicated understanding of masculine identity and what it means to be a "real man".
"Sexual abuse to a man is an abuse against his manhood as well.
"Almost universally, boys and men suffered intense feelings of shame and guilt about being victimised, and many blamed themselves for years to decades."
One insightful friend of mine wondered what was the male equivalent of slut-shaming a female rape victim for wearing a short skirt?
"It's that a guy should be strong enough to fight off his abuser."
That two men eventually had the nerve to stand up to Gareth Ward in a court of law speaks volumes about sexual abuse as power abuse - and that all of us are vulnerable to being courted and paralysed by someone we trust.
But when politics begins to feel like faith, and leaders act outside the law, it’s time for the community to step back and re-evaluate.
There are scathing comments circulating in Kiama about how on earth voters could have re-elected Gareth Ward once those assault charges were laid following multiple allegations and lengthy investigations.
There are also many concerned for Gareth Ward's state of mind that he would continue to push so fervently to keep his seat of power and his tax-payer funded salary.
But it's well past time to refocus the conversation on the people of Kiama and the survivors of sexual abuse.
The former cult members in that TV documentary survived because they realised "suddenly everything that I have taken as truth, is a lie."
So before you call someone "stupid" for voting for Gareth Ward, remember these words from one man who finally freed himself of an abusive cult after years of brainwashing:
"Good people make good victims."
The National Sexual Assault, Family and Domestic Violence Counselling Line – 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault.
