Senior NSW minister Don Harwin busted at his holiday house
NSW Arts Minister Don Harwin was photographed inside a shopping centre in Sydney’s east a week after he claims he relocated to his Central Coast holiday home. SEE THE PHOTOS
QLD Coronavirus News
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD Coronavirus News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Embattled NSW MP Don Harwin was spotted clothes shopping in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, more than a week after he claims he relocated to his Central Coast holiday home.
The Arts Minister was snapped in Westfield Eastgardens, carrying three Johnny Bigg shopping bags, on the afternoon of March 22nd.
While only pictured from behind, The Daily Telegraph has confirmed the photos are of Mr Harwin.
A spokesman said the minister relocated to his $1.3 million Pearl Beach residence on March 13, but has since made two trips down to Sydney. One trip was for a medical appointment on April 1. He was also in Sydney for five days between March 19 to March 24 for “senior leadership meetings and parliament”, when he made one trip to go clothes shopping, a spokesman said.
The spokesman said Mr Harwin’s shopping trip was not in breach of a Public Health Order banning non-essential travel that came into effect at 10.20pm on March 30.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she was “disappointed” – despite knowing two days ago of Mr Harwin’s arrangements before The Daily Telegraph revealed them.
Ms Berejiklian said it was important her colleagues were “seen to stick to the rule”, yet also attempted to mount a defence of Mr Harwin saying he fled to the coast before lockdown was in place.
She did not address the fact that he had travelled back to Sydney at least twice in the period.
Asked why she was only disappointed now after The Daily Telegraph revealed Mr Harwin’s arrangements but not when he informed her, Ms Berejiklian said “based on what he told me strictly he hadn’t breached the rules because they were prior to the restrictions”.
“But as I say today, it’s not strictly about the rules it’s about the message to the community.”
The Premier said she was not inclined to sack the minister even if he gets a fine, saying you can’t sack everyone who gets a fine.
In a written statement this morning, Mr Harwin said “I apologise to the Premier and the people of NSW”.
“I took advice from my department officials about the Public Health Order to ensure I adhered to the guidelines during this period.
“I have no desire to cause a distraction for the Government at this important time and have returned to my Sydney home.”
NSW Police visited Mr Harwin’s Elizabeth Bay apartment building – his primary residence, about 2.30pm this afternoon.
A police spokeswoman said the officers were “conducting inquiries”.
Police will also investigate whether he potentially breached rules over house guests. Commissioner Mick Fuller said he was willing to fine Mr Harwin and noted that even the Prime Minister had asked people to stay home.
“If (Mr Harwin’s) excuse doesn’t cut the mustard he’ll get the fine,” he said.
Mr Fuller said he would ask questions of Mr Harwin and noted there was photo evidence of another person in his home, as published in today’s paper, and indicated that may also breach the rules.
The man pictured in the photo with Mr Harwin is Geoffrey Winters – a one time Liberal candidate for the seat of Sydney.
The Daily Telegraph has sent multiple requests for comment to Mr Winters who has not responded.
A since deleted Facebook post on Mr Winters’ page showed he returned to Sydney from the UK on March 17.
When asked yesterday if his house guest was travelling between Sydney and the Central Coast, Mr Harwin said he would not comment on behalf of anyone else but that no one was “coming and going” from the property.
It comes as Daily Telegraph readers voted in favour of a poll asking if Mr Harwin should be sacked over the incident.
When asked “Should Arts Minister Don Harwin be sacked for travelling despite lockdown rules?”, 72 per cent or 1900 people voted yes while 28 per cent of 743 people voted no.
One voter commented that the rules “should apply to everyone” while another said he “probably should have been made to stay there now until the lockdown is over.”
The minister’s getaway comes as the government ordered a statewide police blitz on would-be holiday-makers, ordering people turning up at caravan parks and camping sites to go back home.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro, who has led pleas for Sydneysiders to stay away from the regions, said there was a clear expectation everyone stayed in their principal place of residence.
“The rules apply to everyone, politicians aren’t exempt — we need to set the standard and I’m bloody disappointed,” he said last night.
“Everyone could go to their holiday home — we are asking people not to. This sets a bad example.”
A ministerial source has revealed how, in a high level leadership phone hookup last week, Mr Harwin argued against strict restrictions on Airbnbs in the regions.
It is understood Mr Barilaro raised the need to deter Airbnb rentals and Minister Rob Stokes raised the prospect of taking extreme planning measures to stop the use of the holiday homes.
“Harwin pipes up and went hard against this,” a source in the meeting said.
Mr Harwin told Ms Berejiklian of the arrangements two days ago, including that he had been on the coast since March 13, a source said on Wednesday night.
Mr Harwin on Wednesday said he was on the coast for health reasons, preferring the “fresh air” of the Central Coast as he said he was 55 and had co-morbidities and a history of respiratory problems.
He added his work-from-home arrangements were better at Pearl Beach than they were in his “small apartment in Sydney”.
“I live in a very built-up area in Sydney with high density and here I have windows that can open so I can have the fresh air and I can walk in fresh air and I have more room in my house here than I would have in my small apartment in inner Sydney,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
A government spokesman said Mr Harwin had not breached any laws or health orders, and pointed to a clause in the special coronavirus Public Health Orders which does allow “moving between different places of residences of the person”.
However, senior ministers, who were on Wednesday night furious on hearing of their colleague’s relocation, said the intention of the clause was not to allow relocation to holiday homes because authorities are deeply concerned about the ability of the regional health systems to cope with an influx of people.
Multiple senior sources said the intention of the clause was, instead, to ensure divorced families were not breaking the law when ferrying children between homes.
Mr Harwin insisted he had no “guests coming and going from this house”, but The Daily Telegraph sighted a guest with Mr Harwin at the Pearl Beach property.
Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said on March 31 he wanted people to stay in “their primary home” as the hospitals were equipped based on where the population is usually spread.
Mr Harwin said: “I have two residences. I have chosen to live at this one for health reasons.”
Originally published as Senior NSW minister Don Harwin busted at his holiday house
‘The biggest public health threat of our times’
Experts say instances of self harm linked to social media use are at virus epidemic levels, labelling it “the biggest public health threat of our times”.
Vaccination rates a sad casualty of Covid
The chaotic years of Covid are receding rapidly, but the latest legacy is the rise of ‘vaccine fatigue’ and it’s putting our children at risk, writes the Editor.