MP Gareth Ward turned up to parliament at 4am in ‘T-shirt, underwear (and) socks’, report claims

A senior NSW minister says Kiama MP Gareth Ward should be investigated after turning up to parliament at 4am without his pants on and allegedly smelling of alcohol.

State MP Gareth Ward turned up to parliament just after 4am on a Sunday morning wearing a “T-shirt, underwear, (and) socks,” with a gash on his head and smelling of alcohol, according to a secret security report – with Mr Ward claiming he walked to get a spare key after locking himself out of his apartment, and denying he was drunk.

The Daily Telegraph revealed bombshell allegations against the independent MP – who is due to face court next year over alleged sex offences – following a months-long investigation into an incident in the early hours of Sunday July 21.

A top-secret report into the incident, provided to a select group of parliamentary officials, alleged that Mr Ward tried to enter the building at about 4.20am wearing a “T-shirt, underwear, (and) socks,” with a gash on his head.

Senior Minister Courtney Houssos says Kiama MP Gareth Ward should be investigated by parliament and that behaviour would not be acceptable in any other workplace, and parliament should take action - including by referring the matter to a committee designed to probe claims of bad behaviour.

“I think these are really concerning allegations, and I think that those matters should all be investigated by the Parliament, perhaps by the Privileges Committee,” she said.

“Our Parliament’s a key democratic institution, but it’s also a workplace, and I just think this wouldn’t be acceptable for your listeners for how they behave in their workplaces.”

Screen grab from CCTV, obtained via GIPA of politician Gareth Ward trying to enter NSW Parliament at 4am.

Details of the report were conveyed to the Telegraph from a parliamentary source who had seen the document.

NSW Police Special Constables responded to a call from the back gate, the report said.

A special constable noted that the independent Kiama MP was trying to gain access to the building without his pass.

In the report, a special constable wrote that Mr Ward was wearing a “T-shirt, underwear, (and) socks,” and that he had a gash on his head.

Quizzed on why he was trying to access the building, Mr Ward said he had “gone for a run,” the source said.

Mr Ward was then let in.

In a statement, Mr Ward said he had locked himself out of his nearby apartment after being woken by a noise. Mr Ward has two Sydney homes - one in Potts Point, and one in Woolloomooloo. Mr Ward said his apartment was about an “eight minutes walk/jog” to parliament.

“Having been woken and responding to a noise at the rear of my apartment, I locked myself out of my property in the early hours of 21 July,” he said.

“Given it was freezing at around 4AM in July, with no prospect of getting a locksmith, not having my phone and with my property around eight minutes walk/jog to Parliament, I went to Parliament to get my spare key.”

NSW MP Gareth Ward.

The security footage came from a nearby camera covering Hospital Road next to the domain.

Multiple sources on Macquarie Street have told the Telegraph they had heard about the alleged incident, with varying levels of detail.

Separately, the Telegraph has obtained security camera footage from the neighbouring Domain which reveals a man walking up to parliament’s back entrance at approximately 4.24am on the morning in question.

The footage, obtained via a freedom of information request, shows a person calling security at the entrance before being let in. It is unclear whether the man captured in the footage is wearing trousers.

Because of special laws governing the parliamentary precinct, security camera footage from the building itself will remain secret. Parliament is exempt from NSW freedom of information laws.

In response to another freedom of information request, NSW Police refused to provide access to documents created by Special Constables attached to parliament on the morning in question.

The people who run parliament, including Speaker Greg Piper and the Department of Parliamentary services refused to comment on the matter.

Mr Piper’s office was made aware of the incident at the time.

The Telegraph asked detailed questions including whether the incident put the safety of parliamentary workers at risk.

“Parliament of NSW does not provide comment on the safety, welfare or security of Members and staff,” a spokesperson said.

The Telegraph asked Mr Ward detailed questions about what occurred, and provided him with security camera footage, on Wednesday.

Mr Ward said he “did not see anyone in parliament” other than the Special Constable which let him in.

“The imputation that I was drunk is wrong.

“The imputations in these questions are defamatory.

“This is this sort of gutter journalism that sees faith in some journalists fall to an all-time low,” he said.

Late on Wednesday, Mr Ward — through lawyers — claimed that it would be unlawful for the Telegraph to publish CCTV which was obtained via a freedom of information request without Mr Ward’s permission.

CCTV from the lift the Intercontinental Hotel in New York in 2017 of the incident involving Gareth Ward.

The July incident is the latest time Mr Ward has been caught in a compromising position.

In 2020, the then-Families Minister was twice escorted home by police after being found sleepwalking naked.

In a statement at the time, NSW Police said officers had located “naked man standing in the doorway of another unit”.

“After determining that was his residence, (police) escorted him inside.”

Mr Ward, who had earlier been admitted to hospital for a medical procedure, said he did not remember the incident.

“I had a general anaesthetic. I was fine after the operation but when you go to sleep these things hit,” he said.

In 2017, he was targeted in a blackmail scam in New York after ordering a massage to his hotel room.

Mr Ward said he paid $US100 via an online website for a “normal, standard massage” and denied that he ordered a “special massage”.

The then-Parliamentary Secretary said “very aggressive” African-American men arrived at his room at 10.30pm offering sexual services, demanding money.

Mr Ward was suspended from parliament in 2022 after being charged with a string of offences including rape, indecent assault, and common assault.

He was re-elected at the 2023 election.

He has pleaded not guilty, and is due to go to trial next year. He has previously issued a statement strongly denying the allegations.

Originally published as MP Gareth Ward turned up to parliament at 4am in ‘T-shirt, underwear (and) socks’, report claims