New South Wales (NSW) Premier, Chris Minns has announced that the Labor government will not collaborate with One Nation leader Mark Latham and will begin a process to potentially ban independent MP Gareth Ward from parliament. This announcement comes after vote counting in three close seats handed two wins to the Liberal party on Saturday, leaving Labor's hopes of reaching a 47-seat majority in the dust.
Minns made it clear that he would not support any attempt by Latham to chair an upper house committee, calling his recent homophobic tweet about Sydney MP Alex Greenwich "vile." In response, Latham criticized Minns for attempting to import a US-style approach to politics in NSW without success.
Meanwhile, the parliament was unable to discipline Latham due to his resignation before the state election and subsequent re-election. However, Minns confirmed that Labor would try sending re-elected Gareth Ward to a parliamentary privileges committee that considers matters of ethical standards. Despite consistently maintaining his innocence, Ward faces potential expulsion from parliament.
In regards to these developments, Environment Minister Penny Sharpe also spoke out against Latham’s tweet calling it "completely unacceptable."
Labor's decision highlights their commitment towards ethical standards within Parliament and intolerance towards hate speech or bigotry; however, it remains uncertain how this may impact future political relations within NSW.
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