A convicted rapist who struggles to stay in parliament in Australia

Australian politician, convicted of rape, is fighting – from his prison – to remain a member of the State Parliament of New South Wales (NSW).

Gareth Ward was recognized last month guilty of sexual assault on two young men, 18 and 24 years old at his home between 2013 and 2015 and is now in custody in anticipation of a sentence.

The NSW State Parliament had planned to expel the 44-year-old this week after he refused to resign after the sentence of guilty.

However, Ward’s lawyers – who plan to appeal their sentence – say they will seek order at a court hearing on Thursday to stop the independent member of the Kiama to be forced.

“He’s not ashamed,” NSW Prime Minister Chris Micle told local 2GB radio station on Tuesday.

He repeated Ward’s calls to resign from the State Parliament, stating that it was “the first and most obvious choice.”

“It is an unconscious situation to have someone currently sitting in Silverwater prison, convicted of serious sexual crimes, who wants to remain a member of parliament and continue to be paid,” Mins said.

Opposition leader Mark Spaiman has joined the Ward calls to retreat.

“Every day, when he clicks in his place of the prison cell, taxpayers are at the heart of the bill, and Kiama people are left without voice. It’s not just wrong, but offensive,” said the NSW Liberal leader, a party where Ward has been a part of before.

In a statement after his sentence, but before his guarantee was canceled, Ward said he was “absolutely broken” by the sentence of the jurors and spent time with his family.

“I advise on the next steps, but I can confirm that I have provided instructions to my legal team to prepare an appeal at the earliest opportunity,” the announcement said.

Ward resigned as Minister of the State Government and the Liberal Party when the allegations appeared in 2021, but refused to leave parliament and were re -elected as a member of Kiama in 2023.

The NSW government had previously been considering voting for the expulsion of Ward – who has been a state deputy since 2011 – but legal advice shows that this may risk predicting his process.

If Ward is expelled from parliament, it will provoke elections in the city of Kiama on the south coast, with a possible vote within weeks.

Ward should be convicted next month for three charges of indecent attack and one rape.