Gareth Ward arrives at parliament in boxers after locking himself out of his apartment
- Gareth Ward locked himself out of his Sydney apartment near Parliament at 4 a.m.
- He accessed Parliament to retrieve spare keys, and was let in by a security guard.
- The ethics committee cleared Ward, concluding there were no complaints or safety issues.
In July 2024, Gareth Ward, a former minister in New South Wales, Australia, arrived at Parliament house in an unusual state—dressed in only boxers and a jumper. This bizarre situation occurred after he accidentally locked himself out of his apartment located near the state parliament. After hearing a noise outside his residence around 4 a.m., he rushed out only to find himself without his security pass, leading to his decision to go to parliament to retrieve spare keys from his office. A parliamentary security guard allowed him entry into the building. Ward’s unorthodox appearance during this incident raised eyebrows and sparked discussions about appropriate behavior among MPs. NSW Premier Chris Minns labeled the behavior as inappropriate, emphasizing the need for decorum among public officials. However, an ethics committee predominantly made up of government MPs found no grounds for complaint or concern regarding safety during the incident, thus clearing Ward of any wrongdoing. The committee’s review concluded that there was no need for further investigation since the security report showed that his actions had not elicited complaints or raised safety issues. Despite the committee's findings, there have been rising concerns about how confidential details surrounding Ward's incident reached the media, leading Speaker Greg Piper to call for enhanced measures for the privacy and safety of parliament members. This incident is compounded by Ward’s previous controversies; he was previously a cabinet minister in the Berejiklian government before stepping down from that role after being charged with historical sex offenses, which he continues to deny. In 2020, Ward also made headlines for another bewildering incident where he was found wandering outside his Potts Point apartment disoriented after experiencing effects from general anesthesia. These events have strained his reputation as a public figure but he managed to secure re-election as an independent MP despite the controversies. The ethical dimensions of politicians' conduct and the importance of maintaining the integrity of parliamentary processes remain under scrutiny due to incidents like this.