Mark Croxford, the President of the Kiama State Electorate Conference - the overarching body for the branches in the Kiama electorate, has risked his Liberal Party membership by criticising the Premier’s attitude to Gareth Ward.

Premier Perrottet, and Opposition Leader Chris Minns, both say they will seek to reinstate the ban on Gareth Ward entering Parliament should he win the election.

Mr Croxford says this goes against the presumption of innocence, and is a hypocritical stance by law makers.

“He [the Premier] has not explained his reasons in any rational way other than to imply that if we cauterise this wound we won’t have to worry about it. What they have done is trashed a fundamental legal principle in the process.”

Mr Ward has been the Member for Kiama for 12 years, and is running as an Independent following his suspension from Parliament over sexual abuse charges which he denies.

“Voters have the right to choose who represents them in Parliament, and it’s not up to the major parties to deny them that right,” says Mr Croxford.

“Hypocrisy and actions that go against the will of the people have no place in politics.”

He is waiting to see how the Party reacts to his comments, which were first published in the Daily Telegraph.

Mark Croxford

Mr Croxford says the local members of the party he has spoken to since Melanie Gibbons was announced as the Liberal Party candidate are stunned by the choice [Liberals find a surprise candidate].

“The Liberals I have spoken to so far have struggled to lift their jaws from the ground,” he says.

“A great number of people have already applied for exemptions, but it is only now the adjudications can happen.”

The exemptions are necessary for party members to support a non-Liberal candidate in any way.

Mr Croxford was one of four members of the Nomination Review Committee that considered Ms Gibbon’s nomination before it went to the State Executive for consideration. He says he abstained from voting because of insufficient information.

Mr Croxford, who is an independent councillor on Kiama Council, hasn’t yet decided whether to campaign for Mr Ward or Ms Gibbon.

“I haven’t made up my mind. I am very disappointed and disillusioned at this time.”