Victorian minister Steve Herbert resigns after dog debacle

THE Victorian minister who used a taxpayer-funded car to chauffeur his dogs between city and country homes has quit cabinet.

Minister for Corrections Steve Herbert resigns. Picture: Nigel Hallett

THE Victorian minister who used a taxpayer-funded car to chauffeur his dogs between city and country residences has quit cabinet.

Corrections Minister Steve Herbert will move to the backbench immediately and take a pay cut worth more than $100,000.

He said he wouldn’t recontest his legislative council seat at the 2018 state election.

Mr Herbert admitted using his ministerial car to ferry his dogs Patch and Ted some 120km between his city and country homes while he was at work.

Mr Herbert said in a statement government was the most important thing and the events over the past few weeks have served as a distraction.

“I have tendered my resignation to Premier (Daniel) Andrews,” he said.

“I will not be nominating for, or contesting, the 2018 state election.”

Steve Herbert's dog Patch.

Steve Herbert's dog Ted. Picture: Facebook

Mr Andrews said Mr Herbert resigned after reflecting on his position.

“Mr Herbert has admitted an error of judgment and he is paying the price for that error,” Mr Andrews said in a statement.

Mr Herbert announced on Tuesday he would pay back $192.80 for the petrol costs of transporting Patch and Ted “once, possibly twice” between his homes in Parkdale and Trentham.

But the opposition on Wednesday claimed he was lying and “it was well known that this was a regular weekly event during sitting weeks”.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy had called for Mr Herbert to be sacked by the Labor government when the dog revelations became public in late October.

“Daniel Andrews should have sacked Steve Herbert two weeks ago and not waited for his minister to resign,” he told reporters on Wednesday.