Jo Haylen has resigned as the NSW transport minister following controversy over the use of her taxpayer-funded driver for personal events.
The transport minister faced criticism after it was revealed she utilized a ministerial driver to attend a private lunch at Brokenwood Winery in the Hunter Valley on January 25.
In her statement today, Haylen expressed regret and confirmed her decision to step down from the portfolio.
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Haylen remarked, “As I mentioned on Sunday, I’ve made some mistakes. While I did not breach any rules, I recognize that is not the sole criteria for accountability. I let the public down, and I apologize for that.
This morning, I informed the premier of my resignation from the ministerial position for transport.”
Reports surfaced earlier in the week indicating that Haylen had used her ministerial driver for a 446km journey from Sydney to her holiday residence at Caves Beach.
The driver also transported her, along with Housing Minister Rose Jackson, their husbands, and two friends, to the private lunch at Brokenwood Winery the day before Australia Day.
After waiting three hours for the completion of the lunch, the driver took them back to Caves Beach and returned to Sydney over 13 hours later.
Haylen stated that she would personally cover the $750 expense for the trip.
Since the initial revelations regarding the winery trip, additional claims have emerged about Haylen’s use of the driver, including transporting her children to Saturday sports.
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Haylen admitted today that she had also employed her driver for another trip to the Hunter Valley, albeit under different circumstances. “I did take a trip last year with my husband to the Hunter Valley, but it was not under the same conditions as on January 25; I was working that day,” she noted.
“I acknowledge that the decision to use my personal driver was a lapse in judgment on my part. My mistakes are now causing damage to my government.”
Haylen will retain her position as the Member for Summer Hill.
Earlier today, Premier Chris Minns condemned Haylen’s actions as “indefensible,” but indicated he would not dismiss her from the transport portfolio.
“Ultimately, we should have amended the rules regarding ministerial drivers as soon as we assumed office,” Minns stated. “We are reforming the regulations in NSW.”
More updates to follow.
