Gareth Ward (Australian politician)

For other people with the same name, see Gareth Ward.

Gareth James Ward is a former Australian politician. He resigned from the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 2025 after being found guilty for sexual assault. He represented the seat of Kiama on the South Coast from 2011 to 2025. He held various positions in the government serving as Minister for Families, Communities and Minister for Disability Services.Gazette NSW, Government Notices Issue 30, pgs 1088-1090, 2 April 2019, https://gazette.legislation.nsw.gov.au/so/download.w3p?id=Gazette_2019_2019-30.pdf , 3 April 2019 He was suspended from the New South Wales parliament in March 2022 after being charged with sexual intercourse without consent, and three counts of indecent assault. He was convicted of all four counts in July 2025.

Ward resigned on 8 August 2025 as the Parliament was preparing to expel him. This caused a by-election in Kiama. In Ocotber 2025 he was sent to prison for five years and nine months.2025, Miklos Bolza and Adelaide Lang, 'Rapist former MP jailed after sexually assaulting men', Ballarat Courier, 31 October 2025, https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/9101404/rapist-former-mp-jailed-after-sexually-assaulting-men/ 

References

Category:Politicians from New South Wales
Category:Australian criminals
Category:1997 births