Natalie Ward (politician)

{{Short description|Australian politician}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{Use Australian English|date=March 2023}}

{{for|the Australian former softball player|Natalie Ward (softball player)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Natalie Ward

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| honorific-suffix = MLC

| image =

| imagesize =

| nationality = Australian

| office = Deputy Leader of the NSW Liberal Party

| leader = Mark Speakman

| term_start = 8 May 2023

| term_end =

| predecessor = Matt Kean

| successor =

| office1 = Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council

| term_start1 = 16 November 2017

| term_end1 =

| predecessor1 = Greg Pearce

| successor1 =

| office2 = Minister for Women's Safety and the Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence

| term_start2 = {{start date|2021|12|21|df=y}}

| term_end2 = {{end date|2023|3|28|df=y}}

| predecessor2 = Mark Speakman {{small|(as Minister for Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence)}}

| successor2 = Jodie Harrison

| office3 = Minister for Metropolitan Roads

| term_start3 = {{start date|2021|12|21|df=y}}

| term_end3 = {{end date|2023|3|28|df=y}}

| predecessor3 = Rob Stokes {{small|(as Minister for Transport and Roads)}}

| successor3 = John Graham

| office4 = Minister for Sport, Multiculturalism, Seniors and Veterans

| term_start4 = 27 May 2021

| term_end4 = {{end date|2021|12|21|df=y}}

| predecessor4 = John Sidoti

| successor4 = {{unbulleted list|Stuart Ayres
{{no wrap|{{small|(as Minister for Tourism and Sport)}}}}|Mark Coure
{{small|(as Minister for Multiculturalism
and as Minister for Seniors)}}|David Elliott
{{small|(as Minister for Veterans)}} }}

| party = Liberal Party

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| spouse = David Begg

| children = 2

| profession = Lawyer

| residence =

| education =

| alma_mater =

| website =

}}

Natalie Peta Ward is an Australian politician who is currently the deputy leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party.{{Cite web|url=https://nswliberal.org.au/natalie-ward|title=Natalie Ward|website=nswliberal.org.au}}

Ward has been a Liberal member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since 21 November 2017, when she filled a casual vacancy caused by the resignation of The Hon. Greg Pearce.{{Cite NSW Parliament |former= |access-date=5 May 2019 |id=2236 |title=The Hon. Natalie Peta Ward, MLC}} Ward served as the Minister for Sport, Multiculturalism, Seniors and Veterans in the second Berejiklian ministry and the first arrangement of the Perrottet ministry between May and December 2021.{{cite news |author=Smith, Alexandra |title=Berejiklian fills cabinet vacancies after ministers forced to quit |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/berejiklian-fills-cabinet-vacancies-after-ministers-forced-to-quit-20210526-p57vfp.html |access-date=26 May 2021 |work=Sydney Morning Herald}} She was the Minister for Metropolitan Roads and Minister for Women's Safety and the Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence in the second Perrottet ministry, from December 2021 to March 2023.

Ward is a commercial litigation lawyer of 20 years practice in large commercial firms, boutique practice and government regulatory financial services areas. She served on the board of Women Lawyers and is a member of the Rotary Club of Sydney.{{Cite web | url=http://www.sydneyrotary.com | title=Rotary Club of Sydney - Home}} She is a former director of Australian Rugby Foundation.{{Cite web | url=http://www.australianrugbyfoundation.org.au/About.aspx | title=About}}

Ward was formerly deputy chief of staff to NSW Minister for Finance and Services and Minister for the Illawarra, Greg Pearce. Prior to her appointment to the ministry, Ward served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney General and Chaired the Joint Select Committee on Coercive Control and the Joint Select Committee on Sydney's Night Time Economy.

Her husband, David Begg, is a commercial lawyer and former president of Sydney Rugby Union.{{Cite web | url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/new-faces-plot-the-future-of-the-shute-shield-and-grassroots-rugby-in-sydney-20170224-guk7de.html | title=New faces plot the future of the Shute Shield and grassroots rugby in Sydney| date=24 February 2017}}{{Cite web | url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/manly-daily/sport/shute-shield-how-warringah-and-manly-revived-australian-rugby/news-story/6d76536e6172a9c0464a09fdad6c0f8d |title = How Rats and Marlins revived Australian rugby|date = 28 July 2017}}{{Cite web | url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/the-cauliflower-australian-rugby-2018-power-rankings-20180222-h0wgs5.html | title=The Cauliflower: Australian Rugby 2018 Power Rankings| date=22 February 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/rendezview/faction-fight-heats-up-in-north-sydney/news-story/67a13d1056862a10d34498ae5643d91c|title=Faction fight heats up in North Sydney|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|last1=Devine|first1=Miranda|date=8 November 2017}}

Ward wanted to move to the Legislative Assembly at the 2023 New South Wales state election, but in a preselection contest for the ultra-safe Liberal seat of Davidson, in Sydney’s northern suburbs, she was defeated by Matt Cross, a former staff member for Mike Baird.{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Alexandra |title=Roads Minister Natalie Ward fails in push to move to NSW lower house |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/natalie-ward-fails-in-push-to-move-to-lower-house-20221128-p5c1z9.html |access-date=2022-12-29 |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=2022-11-28}}

After the defeat of the Coalition government at the 2023 state election, Ward was elected deputy leader of the NSW Liberal Party. This is despite the fact that she is a member of the upper house the Legislative Council as the position usually goes to a member of the lower house the Legislative Assembly and therefore necessitating rule changes to allow her to assume the position.{{Cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/politics/nsw-liberals-elect-ward-deputy-leader-after-historic-rule-change-20230508-p5d6pt|title=NSW Liberals elect Ward deputy leader after historic rule change|date=8 May 2023|website=Australian Financial Review}}