Labor MP Tania Mihailuk lobbies to have traffic fine overturned
A Labor MP busted for failing to stop at a stop sign told police she deserves to get off with a warning because she’s a politician, police claim. When that failed, Tania Mihailuk tried her luck with the Finance Minister. READ HER LETTER.
NSW
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A Labor MP busted for failing to stop at a stop sign allegedly told police she deserves to get off with a warning because she’s a politician.
Then, after being issued with a $344 fine and the loss of three demerit points, Bankstown MP Tania Mihailuk lobbied her religious ally, NSW Finance Minister Damien Tudehope, to overturn the decision.
Ms Mihailuk, the former NSW Labor spokeswoman for planning and mental health, was pulled over November 5 last year on The River Rd in Revesby about 5pm.
Her 14-year-old daughter was also in the car.
When a traffic and highway patrol officer went to her driver’s side window, a police source claimed she said she was a “politician and should be given a warning”.
But, according to the police source, she already had a few marks on her traffic history, leaving no room for leniency.
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The offence “not stop at stop line (intersection with no lights)” attracts a $344 fine and three demerit points.
After initially denying she used her position as a MP to try and influence a police officer to get her off the fine, she then claimed she couldn’t remember.
“I accept the police’s view and if that is what the police officer recalls me saying then I don’t dispute that,” Ms Mihailuk said.
“My gut feeling is that I did not say that but I do not want to accuse people of lying.”
On December 11 Ms Mihailuk sent Mr Tudehope a letter, which she has provided to The Sunday Telegraph, trying to get off the fine.
Ms Mihailuk and Mr Tudehope are the co-chairs of the Parliamentary Friends for Religious Freedom Group — a group of MPs who banded together to fight for the drafting of religious freedom laws for the state.
“My offences to date are not speed-related and are sadly mostly poor judgments on my part,” she wrote.
“Ordinarily I would not request leniency, however [REDACTED] has been recently diagnosed with a serious illness and is gravely ill, as such, and I am required to drive [REDACTED] to hospital between two and four times each week.
“I wish to request that the penalty notice and associated demerit points be reviewed.”
In the letter she denies committing the driving offence but then writes: “I accept the police’s view”.
Ms Mihailuk said she sent Mr Tudehope the letter because “I’ve got a few things (offences) there” and would go close to losing her licence with the loss of three demerit points.
She claims she received a letter back from the NSW Department of Finance denying her request for leniency.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian declined to comment and a spokesman for Mr Tudehope said: “We are unable to comment on individual cases”.
NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay declined to comment.
Ms Mihailuk said she has never been fined for drink driving or speeding but has done “a few silly things”.
In April 2011, when Ms Mihailuk was Bankstown Mayor she ran into the back of a $130,000 Hummer, which then collided with a third vehicle.
The incident happened at the corner of Mimosa Rd and Noble Ave in Greenacre.
According to confidential council documents, the repair bill for the council car was $27,609 and the total insurance bill to council was $101,797.
Ms Mihailuk said she had a clean driving record before the 2011 incident.
Originally published as Labor MP Tania Mihailuk lobbies to have traffic fine overturned