It was only three short months ago on 16 May when we were reporting on the 2025 federal election outcome.

The Albanese Government romped it home, and Fiona Philips MP turned her wafer-thin margin into a dominant and crushing defeat of Andrew Constance that sent him into political retirement.

The Bugle's View that day was “Now it’s time to keep them honest” and was a clear signal to all levels of government that our community deserves better.

We thought we had a period of relative stability, where there were clear opportunities to make big decisions that would deliver public benefits for generations to come.

We said at the time: “We are not scheduled to have another major election until 13 March 2027 which is when the next NSW State election will be held. This means there are around 630-odd days of ‘clear air’ where policy makers, bureaucrats and politicians can make big and bold decisions, allocate significant investment and genuinely improve the livelihoods of people in our community.”

How things can change.

As has been widely reported, Gareth Ward MP has been found guilty of sexual intercourse without consent and three counts of indecent assault.

He has now no longer in Parliament, as the Member for Kiama, after resigning on Friday. He had been successful in getting a Supreme Court injunction to block the Legislative Assembly from voting to expel him.

But that was dismissed by the Court of Criminal Appeal.

Now the longest-serving representative for Kiama has been banished from public life.

If he had have been able to keep the injunction in place, Ward could have remained as the Kiama electorate's elected representative, serving our community’s needs from Cessnock Correctional Complex, right up until the next state election in March 2027.

It certainly did not pass the pub test.

Mayor Cameron McDonald had identified this issue, writing directly to the NSW Government seeking clarity about "what steps the Parliament will take with respect to Ward". He welcomed Ward's decision to quit on Friday.

So it's on once again. A forthcoming by-election that brings on political campaigns and slogans, and with candidate corflutes at the ready.

Will the Liberal Party dare put a candidate forward, considering the turmoil surrounding Ward? Does Constance come out of retirement?

Is Katelin McInerney going to win pre-selection for Labor and re-contest the seat where she was narrowly defeated in 2023? Or might it be some younger blood such as Councillor Imogen Draisma who sees this as an opportunity to enter the big leagues?

This issue has and will continue to be the talk of the town over the coming weeks and months.

But at the end of the day, The Bugle’s View is that whatever the future may hold – we need to keep calm and carry on.

And after the by-election when we elect a new representative, the message is clear: let’s not revisit old issues and go back to the "bad old days".

Let’s build upon the good work of the new Council, secure funding for new infrastructure, and ensure Kiama continues to grow in the best way possible.