Andrew Stoner has worst car accident claims record in NSW

ANDREW Stoner has the dubious honour of holding the worst accident claims record of any state politician, smashing, scratching or drowning four government cars seven times in eight years.

The Tweed/Byron area has the state's highest number of drink driving charges for the ninth time in ten years. Andrew Stoner, NSW Nationals leader and Shadow Minister for Roads, has declared support for the local police campaign for extra numbers.

ANDREW Stoner has the dubious honour of holding the worst accident claims record of any state politician, smashing, scratching or drowning four government cars seven times in eight years.

In the five years since he drove a new $47,000 Holden V8 Calais into a flooded creek after wiping out a kangaroo in a Holden Caprice, Deputy Premier Stoner has slammed into the back of a car, almost wiped out an airport pay station and been the victim of a carpark hit and run.

But the Nationals leader is not the only MP involved in a dingle, with Planning Minister Pru Goward and Attorney-General Brad Hazzard sideswiping walls.

Former sports minister and Gold Coast Titans chief executive officer Graham Annesley blamed “a strong gust of wind” for blowing the door of his Kluger into a neighbouring car, while Health Minister Jillian Skinner was in “bumper to bumper” traffic when a car ran into the rear of her VW Passat.

Mr Stoner fills his car up

Mr Stoner during question time

But Department of Premier and Cabinet documents ­obtained by Labor under the Government Information (Public Access) Act showed Mr Stoner had filed three times for damage to two cars since 2009.

The claims are on top of four accidents revealed by The Sunday Telegraph in 2009 ­involving two separate cars issued to Mr Stoner.

The most recent accident occurred in March last year when Mr Stoner’s $70,000 government-issue VW Touareg ran into the back of ­another car in Port Macquarie.

Mr Stoner said the driver had tried to turn left before stopping unexpectedly. “I braked, however there was a minor impact,” Mr Stoner wrote. “Am advised police regard following driver in nose-tail accidents responsible.”

Mr Stoner said the “protruding tow bar” on the car in front damaged the plastic front bumper of the Touareg.

He also scratched his Subaru Tribeca after sideswiping an airport pay station in October 2011 when trying to reverse out of a queue after the pay machine at Port Macquarie airport refused his money.

“Queue of vehicles formed behind on very narrow roadway,” he wrote. “Attempted ­reverse manoeuvre in very limited space to enable other vehicles to pass. During this difficult manoeuvre, right hand front guard clipped ­airport parking machine, leaving scratches.”

A year later, Mr Stoner lodged a third insurance claim for the same Subaru for damage he believed had occurred six months earlier while the vehicle was parked at the airport. The damage included a scratched driver’s side rear panel and a crack in the driver’s side reflector rear bumper.

Mr Stoner admitted he had been involved in “a few minor incidents”, but said it was because he was on the road a lot.

Ms Goward and Mr Hazzard both sideswiped their government c ars against a wall.