As the contentious vote on exclusion zones outside abortions clinics was being debated in the NSW parliament, one Liberal MP was flying first class to Singapore on a taxpayer-funded trip.
MP Gareth Ward, 37, has been accused of angering his colleagues by taking off overseas on Friday, according to The Daily Telegraph.
A picture obtained by the publication shows Mr Ward’s Qantas ticket sitting on a table under a sparkling glass of rosé to sip on while waiting to board his flight.
MP Gareth Ward, 37, (pictured) was reportedly sipping rosé as the ‘safe zones’ bill was debated
The NSW MP flew first class to Singapore during the contentious vote on Friday (stock)
The incident is not the first time the Kiama MP and Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra and South Coast region has annoyed the Liberal Party by taking off for an overseas junket, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Mr Ward was robbed by two male masseurs at the Intercontinental hotel during a trip to New York last August. Rooms at the luxury hotel start at $395 a night.
He said he stopped over in New York on his way to Canada where he was attending a conference for parliamentarians with disabilities.
‘Look I contacted someone who I thought was a masseur and when he came to my hotel – he brought a friend – it became clear they wanted more. I made it clear that was not what I wanted and asked them to leave,’he told Daily Mail Australia at the time.
‘They became aggressive and pulled out their phones and began recording and demanding money.’
Mr Ward said he told the men he would get them the money and took the lift to the lobby, where he told the clerk while the pair ‘bolted.’
‘I was terrified, absolutely terrified.’
The MP has received heat before after almost being robbed at a luxury hotel
Mr Ward, who is legally blind, said he used his own personal points to upgrade his Singapore flight to first class.
‘Mr Ward is currently undertaking his CPA study tour on public transport access for the visually impaired and blind and has a number of meetings in Singapore,’ his spokesman said.
‘These study tours are funded by both Members contributions and the Parliament’s budget.’
The ‘safe access zones’ legislation passed 61 to 18 on Friday after a debate that cut through partisan politics.
The new laws, which were backed by premier Gladys Berejiklian, make it illegal to communicate, film or intimidate a woman near a NSW abortion clinic.
The marathon debate drew impassioned speeches from many members who argued the right to privacy and dignity and in opposition said it was an erosion of free speech.