2 weeks Ago By Carla Mascarenhas
Jo Haylen has resigned as NSW transport minister after admitting to repeatedly using her taxpayer-funded ministerial driver for personal use. or signup to continue reading Ms Haylen said in a statement that she had let the public down and she was "very sorry for that". She said her mistakes were now causing "my government damage".
"Politics is tough," she said. "Expectations are very high. I know that.
" She reiterated that she had not broken the rules but acknowledged: "That's not the only test here". Ms Haylen said from the moment she was appointed a Minister she had "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." Ms Haylen admitted on February 2 to using her driver for a boozy Australia Day long weekend lunch in the Hunter Valley, promising to pay back the $750 cost of the trip.
The trip on January 25 caused outrage after it was revealed a driver worked 13 hours, driving from his home in Rockdale, in southern Sydney, to Ms Haylen's Caves Beach holiday home in Lake Macquarie. After picking up Ms Haylen, , their husbands, and another couple he transported the group to Brokenwood Wines in Pokolbin. He waited in the car for hours for the group to finish before dropping them back to Ms Haylen's holiday home and returning to Sydney.
On February 3, Mr Minns held a press conference and described the trip as a "massive error in judgement." "The real error, in addition to NSW taxpayers being concerned about how their money is being used, is also the treatment of a public servant," he said. Further allegations surfaced on February 3 that the Summer Hill MP asked her driver on multiple occasions to transport her and her son from her Caves Beach holiday house in Lake Macquarie to his sporting games in Sydney.
Ms Haylen refused to answer questions by ACM on those allegations saying the guidelines "cover vehicle and driver use for public and private events". NSW government ministers and the opposition leader are designated a ministerial vehicle and driver to help them with their role. Mr Minns has vowed to tighten the rules, saying he has asked the Cabinet Office to provide advice on changing the guidelines so it wouldn't happen again.
Opposition leader Mark Speakman called for both Ms Haylen and Ms Jackson to resign on February 3. "It showed a complete lack of judgement," he said. "It isn't about the money it is the principle.
" "This should have been bleedingly obvious to the Minister and Rose Jackson. It is not the guidelines. It is ministerial accountability.
You don't need to clarify guidelines when you have such an obvious disregard for taxpayer money here." Carla Mascarenhas is the NSW correspondent covering breaking news, state politics and investigations. She is based in Sydney.
Contact her on [email protected].
au Carla Mascarenhas is the NSW correspondent covering breaking news, state politics and investigations. She is based in Sydney. Contact her on carla.
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