2 weeks Ago By Duncan Evans
NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen has resigned from her job in the wake of the growing ‘chauffeur scandal’. Ms Haylen has admitted to using taxpayer-funded drivers to ferry her to a lunch in the Blue Mountains, and to ferry her and her children to sporting fixtures around the greater Sydney area. The scandal, revealed by the Daily Telegraph over the weekend, exploded this week as NSW Premier Chris Minns publicly criticised her behaviour.
Mr Minns said the private use of taxpayer-funded drivers was “unacceptable”. Haylen announced her resignation on Tuesday, saying her mistakes were causing the government “damage”. “I did not break the rules but I acknowledge that that’s not the only test here.
I’ve let the public down and I’m very sorry for that,” she said. “We were elected to be better than the last government. “This morning I told the Premier I will resign my position as minister for transport.
I will continue to serve the Government as the Member for Summer Hill. “I want to put on the record, I did also take a trip last year with my husband to the Hunter Valley. “It was not the same circumstances as on the 25th of January.
“I was working on that day but I acknowledge that the use of my personal driver was an error of judgement by me. “My mistakes are now causing my government damage. Politics is tough.
Expectations are very high. I know that. “From the very minute I was been appointed a minister, I’ve worked my arse off.
“You don’t switch on and off from being a minister. You don’t switch off being a Mum either. Combining the two can be difficult but I’m far from alone when it comes to that daily challenge.
” On January 25 this year, Haylen used her taxpayer-funded chauffeur to take herself and fellow minister Rose Jackson to and from a lunch at a Hunter Valley winery. The cost of the trip was $750 and Haylen has said her actions on that day failed the “pub test”. Last year, the minister used her driver to take her family to a weekend lunch at Little Hartley, west of the Blue Mountains, the Daily Telegraph reports.
She reportedly also used her driver to ferry herself and her children from her holiday home in Caves Beach, south of Newcastle, to Saturday sports matches in Sydney. A person speaking anonymously with the Daily Telegraph claims the 300km round trip from Caves Beach to Sydney happened “more than four or five times”. In her statement, said she said she was proud of the work she and her government had done to “make public transport exciting again”.
“Public transport is the great social equalizer, it allows everyone, no matter how much money you make, to get where they need to go, to get to your job, to look after your family,” she said. “Great global cities of the world have great public transport systems and Sydney is well on its way. I’m disappointed I don’t get to finish the job but I want to thank each and every member of the transport team.
They are a committed workforce doing an essential job each and everyday for all of us. “They are lead by the best secretary in government Josh Murray and I thank him for everything he has done and will continue to do.” Haylen ended her speech by thanking Mr Minns, her Cabinet colleagues, chief of staff Kate Lee and deputy Mat Howard and her husband and children.
“They’re going to see lots more of me now,” she said. “So will the excellent people of Summer Hill. See you all soon.
” Haylen declined to answer any questions following her statement. Haylen apologised to her Cabinet colleagues for the scandal at a meeting on Monday, with a number of Labor MPs reportedly incensed by her use of the car and driver..
