ABC Australia reports….
A WA member of parliament accused of child sex offences will be allowed to travel to Queensland to attend a three-day forum on medicinal cannabis after a magistrate agreed to vary his bail conditions.
Key points:
- James Hayward is on a parliamentary committee looking into cannabis
- The court heard he needs to attend the event to fulfil his duties
- A magistrate altered his bail conditions to allow his attendance
Former Nationals MP and member of the WA Upper House, James Hayward, has pleaded not guilty to five charges relating to the alleged abuse of an eight-year-old girl, which include procurement for an indecent act and persistent sexual conduct.
Mr Hayward appeared in the Perth Magistrates Court this morning to request a variation to his bail terms, which require him to report to a police station three days a week and not leave the state.
The court heard he could not fulfil his duties and would have to resign his membership of a WA parliamentary committee looking into the current legislation and regulations of cannabis and hemp if he could not attend a symposium on the Sunshine Coast with the four other members.
The United In Compassion (UIC) 2022 Australian Medicinal Cannabis Symposium will be held at the Novotel Twin Waters Resort from May 20 to May 22.
Advertising for the conference spruiks the hotel as a “one stop location … on the beautiful Sunshine Coast Queensland”.
“Consider staying on to experience all that the region has to offer from crystal clear beaches to adventures in the rain forest and picturesque Hinterland,” it stated.
The other four members of the parliamentary committee are Brian Walker, Matthew Swinbourn, Jackie Jarvis and Lorna Harper.
The court heard two parliamentary staffers would also travel to the symposium.
Mr Hayward has previously stated publicly that he intends to remain a member of the Parliament of Western Australia and keep his salary, because if he resigned it would send a message that any person in public office can be removed by simply making an untested allegation.
MP attending event despite virtual viewing option
The events on offer at the symposium include a trade exhibition, a two-day symposium and gala dinner on May 21, but it does offer virtual viewing tickets for all programs.
The state did not oppose the application.
Magistrate Heidi Watson granted the variation, saying she believed the need to protect the complainant and children in general would be met under the variation.
Under his bail conditions, Mr Hayward is required to check in with the Australind Police Station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
The magistrate agreed to vary two of his bail conditions so he was not required to check in to the station as usual on May 20 and May 23.
But she ordered that he not leave Melbourne Airport when transiting through there.
Mr Hayward’s bail conditions still require him to have no unsupervised contact with a child under 16.
The magistrate said Mr Hayward should seek advice from his lawyer if he were to be seated next to a child during the trip, although she noted this was unlikely.
