Underwear MP faces dressing down for parliament visit
How a half-clad MP without his security pass entered parliament at 4am will be examined by an ethics committee.
Former NSW minister Gareth Ward said he was dressed in boxers and jumper after locking himself out of his apartment near state parliament on July 21.
Mr Ward said he jumped out of bed after hearing a noise outside, only to lock himself out.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Believing his chances of getting a locksmith were slim, he went to parliament to pick up spare keys in his office, he said in a statement.
Mr Ward was let in by a parliamentary security guard.
Premier Chris Minns on Thursday demanded answers from the Kiama MP and parliamentary services.
“This is far from appropriate in a workplace,” he told reporters.
“It wouldn’t be appropriate at the Commonwealth Bank or the Department of Education, and I think taxpayers would say it’s not appropriate in the NSW parliament.”
The government on Thursday asked the parliamentary ethics committee to consider whether the incident raised any issues concerning the appropriate conduct of an MP.
The committee has also been tasked with recommending any potential consequences, having regard to “all the circumstances” related to Mr Ward.
That appears to be a veiled swipe at Mr Ward’s upcoming criminal trial on historical sex abuse charges, which he denies.
The former minister in the Berejiklian government moved to the crossbench and was later suspended from parliament after being charged.
He was re-elected as an independent at the last election, with Labor warned efforts to again suspend him could be unconstitutional.
Mr Ward made headlines in 2020 when found naked and confused late at night outside his Potts Point apartment after he became “disoriented” at home because of the effects of earlier general anaesthetic.
An hour later - after escorting Mr Ward inside - police were called back to the apartment after reports the then-minister was wandering around outside in his underwear.
Thursday’s inquiry referral was not opposed by the opposition or crossbench.
