MP Gareth Ward hits back at 'incredibly hurtful' bullying claims

As a child with albinism, Kiama MP Gareth Ward was a target of cruel playground taunts, picked on for his pale skin, snow white hair and poor eyesight that classed him as legally blind.

"I was bullied as a kid and went to hell and back, so to be called a bully as an adult is not only hurtful but absolutely not true," the parliamentary secretary said on Tuesday.

Gareth Ward says claims that he is a bully are "absolutely not true". Credit: Brook Mitchell

Mr Ward's comments follow an extraordinary attack from his federal colleague, Gilmore MP Ann Sudmalis, who accused him of "bullying, betrayal and backstabbing".

Ms Sudmalis has announced she will quit Parliament, and said Mr Ward had "flexed his vengeance on strong Liberal women", undermining her with branch stacking and unethical conduct.

Mr Ward and Ms Sudmalis have had a troubled relationship for years. Mr Ward beat her in a preselection for Kiama in 2010 and did not support her in her 2013 federal preselection.

Ms Sudmalis, using parliamentary privilege, said: "This was all about Gareth's narcissistic revenge; planned and plotted."

But Mr Ward, a close friend of Premier Gladys Berejiklian and powerful in the moderate faction of the NSW Liberals, said while he had disagreements with many people, that was not bullying.

"I didn't have a lot of money growing up, I went to a public school, I have had to work so hard for everything that I have achieved, so to be called a bully is incredibly hurtful," Mr Ward said.

"I have disagreements with a lot of people but that is what happens internally in politics."

When asked on Tuesday if Mr Ward was a bully, Ms Berejiklian answered: "No" and said both Mr Ward and Ms Sudmalis were "extremely hardworking" local members.

Liberal MP Ann Sudmalis.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

"My experience with Gareth is that he's a hard-working local member but I say this - no workplace anywhere, no organisation, has room for bullying full stop and if people raise these issues, they need to be looked at," Ms Berejiklian said.

Ms Berejiklian said Prime Minister Scott Morrison had "announced a process", which is a directive to the party's head office to establish a "rigorous and confidential" complaints process.

Mr Ward was elected to State Parliament in 2011, after starting his political career on Shoalhaven City Council in 2004 aged 22.

One of his state colleagues described him as "ambitious and a factional player but not a bully".

"There is no doubt that Gareth wants to be in cabinet and probably has his eyes on a federal seat but he is not a bully. This stuff from Sudmalis was personal and vindictive," the MP said.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian described Gareth Ward as hard-working, and said he was not a bully. Credit: AAP

Another said: "I sincerely believe Gareth is a popular local MP. Ann isn't leaving because of Gareth, she is leaving because she was either going to lose preselection or her seat."

Ms Sudmalis holds Gilmore on a margin of just 0.7 per cent and faced a preselection challenge from local real estate agent Grant Schultz.

Mr Morrison had publicly backed Ms Sudmalis as the Liberal candidate for Gilmore, and said he was saddened by her decision to quit.

"Sometimes people, they can find this job just a bit too much at times without that support locally, from some of the local party members that she's identified, and that's unfortunate," Mr Morrison told Sky News