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Meet the other Gareth – a Queenslander inadvertently caught up in a Kiama councillor’s abusive text message tirade this week.
Gareth Evans is the man behind the random phone number included in a group message between Kiama councillor and former Labor Party member Neil Reilly and Gareth Ward, the Liberal Kiama MP and parliamentary secretary for the Illawarra.
The colourful exchange, first revealed by the Mercury, saw Cr Reilly call Mr Ward a “c--t” and a “f---ing arrogant turd” for refusing to cross the floor of State Parliament to oppose council mergers.
Mr Evans told the Mercury his initial reaction to the vulgar remarks was confusion.
The 34-year-old lives in Brisbane, has a background in the Navy and now works in event management.
“It seemed like I was a party to a conversation that I wasn’t really involved with to begin with and really had no idea what they were talking about,” he said.
Cr Reilly’s profanities were sent on Tuesday evening.
Mr Evans responded via text on Wednesday afternoon and said: “Thanks, but really, words dont [sic] offend me at all, they are just words. I actually have no idea who this is or what this is even about”.
Asked if the names Neil Reilly or Gareth Ward meant anything to him, Mr Evans said “absolutely not” and added the expletive-laden messages didn’t offend him.
“I honestly didn’t take much notice or read much into it. Colourful language has never really bothered me at all and I’ve spent time in the military,” he said.
“Politically, I have no affiliation to any party ... and I literally have no idea how one of them got my phone number.” Cr Reilly indicated he had two numbers for “Gareth” in his phone and believed it was an old contact for Mr Ward.
Meanwhile, Cr Reilly sent an email to all Kiama councillors and directors on Thursday apologising for “allowing my frustrations to get the better of me”.
Expletives trigger online war of words
Two government representatives behaving badly, a comparison to school children and disappointment over “unnecessary language”.
Mercury readers have reacted in large numbers to the revelation Kiama councillor Neil Reilly called Kiama MP, and parliamentary secretary for the Illawarra, Gareth Ward a “c--t” and a “f---ing arrogant turd”.
By late Thursday, the Mercury website had been inundated with more than 40 comments, while a post on the paper’s Facebook page had generated close to 30 responses.
Some could see the funny side, others weren’t impressed.
“Man the crossword is hard today, 'c--t'. 'f---ing' arrogant. I guess the answers are 'coat' and 'failing', why all the fuss?” one online comment said.
Another, from a person named Reece, said neither Cr Reilly or Mr Ward had “come out looking good”.
“Ward the school yard dobber & Reilly throws a tantrum,” they wrote.
Ian Carratt posted: “Disappointing and unnecessary language from Mr Riley. I understand the passion but not helpful”.