Katelin McInerney endorsed by Labor for Kiama by-election after Gareth Ward’s resignation

Labor’s Katelin McInerney will recontest the seat of Kiama in next month’s by-election after the resignation of long-time former MP and convicted rapist Gareth Ward.

Ward was found guilty by a jury last month of three counts of indecent assault and one of sexual intercourse without consent against two younger men.

He resigned less than two hours before a motion on expelling him was due to be debated in NSW Parliament last week.

If successful, it would have been the first expulsion in more than 100 years.

Ms McInerney, who works in the local non-for-profit sector, was only narrowly defeated by Ward in the 2023 state election.

In announcing her candidacy, Premier Chris Minns said the party had to be “realistic about the challenge ahead”.

“This will be a tough seat for Labor to win — but Katelin knows her community, she understands their priorities, and she will work tirelessly to deliver for them,” he said.

“Our Government is focused on fairness — rebuilding essential services without an unfair wages cap, and without privatisation.

“We’re getting on with delivering for the people of Kiama, but we recognise that the community will have more to say about the needs of this community.”

Ms McInerney said the Minns Government had started to deliver in Kiama, “but I know there is more work to do”.

“If I have the honour of being elected as the Member, I will be a strong local voice and deliver more for our community,” she said.

“I will make sure that we continue to deliver the critical infrastructure and services that our community needs and relies on.”

Labor hasn’t held the seat of Kiama since 2011, when Matt Brown was unseated by Gareth Ward, then a Liberal. Ward held it from then on, until this past week.

Ms McInerney was only narrowly defeated on a two-party preferred vote by Ward, 49.2 to 50.8 per cent.

She grew up in Kiama and began her career as a local journalist and was the first woman to lead the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance trade union.

Further, she helped to establish Women in Media, a mentoring and support network that connects women across the industry, and has worked in the NGO sector. Opposition leader Mark Speakman on Wednesday said it would be a “herculean task” for the Liberals to win in Kiama.

Despite winning the seat with Ward prior to his departure from the party, the Liberals polled only 12 per cent on the primary vote in 2023.

“If you take out the complicating factor of an independent, at the time Gareth Ward, and look at the upper house for the underlying vote, we had 24 per cent, Labor 38.

“In the recent federal election, those polling booths returned 32 per cent primary for us, so we start way behind. It is a herculean task.”

Asked he was running a Liberal or Liberal-National coalition candidate, Mr Speakman said “we are certainly running a Liberal candidate.

“Nominations closed yesterday. We’ll be finishing the preselection process urgently and have something to say very soon,” he said.

“I don’t think the Nats are running, but you’d have to ask Dugald (Saunders, NSW Nationals leader).”

Nationals’ MLC Wes Fang had staked an early claim over Kiama, travelling there in the days before Ward resigned.