Jo Haylen quits over chauffeur scandal
Transport Minister Jo Haylen has resigned over the use of taxpayer-funded ministerial drivers to chauffeur her to multiple private events including winery trips, private country lunches and weekend kids’ sports.
NSW
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Minister Jo Haylen has resigned over the use of taxpayer funded ministerial drivers to chauffeur her to multiple private events including winery trips, private country lunches and weekend kids sports.
Addressing the media at a press conference at NSW Parliament, she announced she had resigned from her ministerial position and would join Labor’s backbench.
“My mistakes are now causing the government damage. I did not break the rules but I acknowledge that’s is not the only test here.”
In her short address she said she had “let the public down”.
“We were elected to be better than the last government,” she said.
“I want to acknowledge that the use of my personal driver was an error in judgement by me.
“I’ve always prided myself on trusting in people and in the goodwill of people I’m lucky to serve. treating people with respect and acting with integrity.
“I am loyal and always will be. It kills me right now that some people might think otherwise.”
She refused to take questions from the media over her resignation, however she did address speculation over her use of her ministerial driver to take her and her husband on a trip to the Hunter Valley last year.
“It was not the same circumstances as the 25th,” she said.
Ms Haylen said she would continue to stay on in the parliament on the backbench representing Summer Hill.
“Politics is difficult, expectations are high… from the very minute I was appointed minister I have worked my arse off,” she said.
“When we came to government we inherited a public transport system on its knees. I’m incredibly proud that we’ve managed to make public transport exciting again.
“Great global cities have great public transport systems and Sydney is well on its way — I’m disappointed I don’t get to finish the job.”
The resignation comes after The Daily Telegraph first revealed on Sunday Ms Haylen had requested her ministerial driver to drive 446km to chauffeur her and five friends to a three hour boozy lunch at a Hunter Valley winery over the Australia Day weekend.
This is the second minister to leave the Minns government after MP Tim Crakanthorp was sacked by the Premier in 2023.
EARLY MORNING BRIEFINGS
Earlier on Tuesday, Ms Haylen was spotted for the first time since Sunday, when it was revealed she commissioned a chauffeur to drive her and five others to a Hunter Valley winery.
She was pictured getting into a white-coloured four-wheel drive outside her Marrickville home just after 9.15am.
She gave a nervous smile that pointed to a tense day ahead as she entered the car under scrutiny from the media.
Coffee in hand, she declined for answer questions from the media as she got inside the government-owned car.
Earlier, advisers arrived at her home for a briefing as the scandal around her use of government fleet and drivers.
It comes as the vast majority of Daily Telegraph readers overwhelmingly believe she needs to go, with 88 per cent saying she needs to stand down over her decision to use her taxpayer-funded driver to chauffeur her and five friends, including Housing Minister Rose Jackson to a boozy winery lunch in the Hunter Valley.
A reader poll of almost 2000 Telegraph readers found that 88 per cent believed both Ms Haylen and Ms Jackson should stand down over the van saga, while 14 per cent believed they should stay in their roles.
Many readers expressed outrage at being subjected to ongoing train delays amid the controversy.
“How nice to have a ride paid by taxpayers,” one reader said.
“Wish I could have called and got a chauffeured ride a couple weeks ago when my train was cancelled and nobody knew if and when the next train was arriving. So after walking and catching a bus I arrived at my appointment two hours later … she should step down from her position.”
“What’s your Plan B?” another reader said. “The Transport Minister seems to think it is Government Car and Driver.”
Some readers warned that Premier Chris Minns would be tarnished by his Ministers’ poor decision-making especially during a cost-of-living crisis.
“Premier, most people think you are doing a reasonable job,” a third reader said.
“It’s time for you to actually put your words into actions and get rid of your ministers. Both continue to do you damage and both have struggled in their portfolios. Time to prune the dead wood before it rots into you as a leader.”
“There is no choice, you have to let her go,” another said.
“We are struggling and your ministers are living life large on our expense and they are thinking it is OK. It is not OK … It just isn’t. The Minister has to resign.”
Another reader said the both Ms Haylen and Ms Jackson should stand down, or be sacked saying it will “come back to haunt Labor”.
“(I) like Minns but after this weak leadership decision (I) will be voting Liberal,” the reader said.
One reader called Minns “weak” and added that truth was “not a major requirement in the Labor Party”.
The outpouring of condemnation continued on The Daily Telegraph’s Facebook post with one user saying “sack the lot of them”.
“None of them represent the people that elected them,” the user commented.
Another Facebook comment called NSW Premier Chris Minns to show leadership and “sack her now”.
On the other hand, one reader commented saying “both parties do (this) all the time” while another said it was “absolutely fantastic” that Mr Minns called Ms Haylen out.
But, the negative comments continued, one claimed Ms Haylen’s actions to be stealing.
“Any other job you steal from the company, this is stealing from the taxpayer, you get the sack,” the reader commented.
One took aim at the Transport Minister’s performance in the portfolio, citing recent strikes.
“While the rest were/are trying to get to work with the train strikes and disruptions, she’s getting driving around in a chauffeured car, paid for by taxpayers,” they said.
“The irony. Can’t get the whole transport network for NSW to move. But, when it comes to organising her own tax payer funded transport, no problem!”
Meanwhile, other suggested public transport may have shown the minster how the other half live.
“A friend went from Newcastle to Sydney on [the] train today, said it was disgusting. Packed to the rafters, people crammed together all smelly, she was exhausted when she got off the train. No wonder our Transport Minister doesn’t use her own public transport,” the reader said.
Other readers took aim at the actions of Ms Haylen during a cost of living crisis.
“Many families are unable to pay for their kids to play sport in the current economic crisis and yet here she is using chauffeured cars to drive her kids to sport,” one said.
“I don’t begrudge anyone having a luxury meal and luxury travel but I want them to pay for their own food and private transport.”
Another mentioned: “She could have used Uber for all these trips – however, that would mean there would have been a chance she had to pay for them.
Others argued any public servant would be lose their job.
“If any other public servant did the same thing they’d be sacked immediately – WITHOUT an opportunity to ‘explain/justify’ their actions.”
Another questioned the environmental impacts.
“Apart from the cost, what about the carbon footprint for this boozy lunch? I thought there was a climate emergency?
If it’s not against the rules, it should be made against the rules. There are people out there
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