NSW Minister Don Harwin hosted former Liberal Party candidate Geoffrey Winters, fined $1000

Under-fire NSW minister fined for hosting former Liberal candidate Geoffrey Winters at his Central Coast holiday home.

NSW Minister Don Harwin, left, at his house in Pearl Beach with Geoffrey Winters on Wednesday. Picture: Christian Gilles

NSW Arts Minister Don Harwin has been fined $1000 by police for breaching social distancing laws after visiting his Central Coast holiday home last month.

Police issued a statement late Thursday night confirming a 55-year-old Elizabeth Bay man

had relocated to a holiday home at Pearl Beach, in contravention of current Ministerial Direction under the Public Health Act.

Police say the man, who The Australian can confirm was Don Harwin, was issued a $1000 PIN via email just before 9pm, for failing to comply with noticed direction.

NSW Police Commissioner Fuller said the directions are in place to protect the lives of people in NSW.

“Police have been given these powers to ensure the community spread of COVID-19– which we know is devastating communities across the globe – is minimised,” the Commissioner said.

“You only need to look at the statistics to see that people are dying where appropriate measures have either not been established or are ignored.

“No one individual or corporation is above these laws – anyone suspected of breaching the orders will be investigated and if a breach is detected, they will be dealt with in accordance with the Act.

Earlier, The Australian revealed Mr Harwin had been hosting a young former Liberal Party candidate – who recently returned on a flight from the UK – at his holiday home for the past three weeks in spite of strict social distancing and isolation restrictions.

The startling revelation comes as the state’s premier, Gladys Berejiklian, conceded she had been aware her Special Minister of State had left Sydney for his coastal retreat but had failed to address the situation – before finally demanding he return to the capital on Thursday.

It is understood that lawyer Geoffrey Winters, who contested the seat of Sydney at the 2016 election, made a beeline for Harwin’s $1.3m Pearl Beach pad after returning on a flight from London on March 17.

All returning Australian travellers were required to self-isolate at their own home for 14 days at the time Mr Winters arrived back in the country – little more than a week before the government issued an edict making it mandatory for all newly returned Australians to undergo a two-week quarantine at a hotel.

Mr Winters had been living in the UK for about 18 months while he completed a Masters of Public Policy at Oxford University before moving back to Australia last November.

The 31-year-old documented his trip to England — and subsequent flight home — on his Facebook page but deleted the posts on Wednesday after news broke Mr Harwin had relocated to his second home on the coast.

When asked to clarify on Wednesday why he was living on the Central Coast with Mr Harwin, staff at his workplace — Chalk and Behrendt Lawyers and Consultants — said they were unaware Mr Winters had returned to Australia.

Don Harwin holiday retreat at Pearl Beach on the NSW Central Coast.

Mr Harwin and Winters have both been approached for comment.

Ms Berejiklian on Wednesday said she was “deeply disappointed” Mr Harwin was flouting her social isolation rules by working from his Pearl Beach getaway – but maintained she would not ask him to step aside from his critical portfolio.

However, she has insisted he return to Sydney.

“I was advised a few days ago that he decided to make that his principal place to live some three weeks ago,” she said.

“Obviously given what we have asked the rest of the Sydney community to do I think it’s entirely appropriate he come back to Sydney.”

The revelation Mr Harwin was staying at his central­ coast holiday house came as Scott Morrison begged Aust­ralians to stay away from regional areas during the Easter break.

Ms Berejiklian brushed off demands to discipline her colleague – a moderate Liberal powerbroker and close ally – instead pointing out he had relocated to the coast before strict lockdown restrictions were put in place.

The Premier added that the senior minister, whose primary residence is in the inner-Sydney suburb of Elizabeth Bay, had decided to relocate to his second home before restrictions were in place.

“I completely agree that we cannot have a perceived rule for everybody else and a perceived rule for others,” she said.

“I feel very passionately about protecting the wellbeing of eight million citizens but I can’t be responsible for every person’s actions.”

However, she said NSW Police would be tasked with determining whether Mr Harwin, who had continued to travel to Sydney to attend parliament and for a medical appointment, had breached any laws and that he could face a $1000 fine if it was found he had failed to adhere to public health orders.

Should Mr Harwin’s excuse not “cut the mustard”, NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said he wouldn’t hesitate to issue the minister a ticket.

Mr Fuller has previously said NSW residents should be in lockdown at their primary residence to prevent regional hospitals becoming overwhelmed. Officials across the world have been caught flouting self-isolation rules including Scotland’s chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood and New Zealand Health Minister David Clark.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper found Mr Harwin at his Pearl Beach getaway on Wednesday.

Mr Harwin has denied any wrongdoing, telling Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph he was living on the Central Coast for “health reasons”.

“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 said.

“I have two residences. I have chosen to live at this one for health reasons.”

NSW public health orders still allow people to move between differen­t places of residence. But both federal and state governm­ent officials, including Mr Morrison, have urged Aust­ralians to stay in their primary residence over summer.

“We are only days away from Easter. The time that should give us great hope. And the message is clear, though. Stay home. Don’t travel. Don’t go away. We can’t let up now,” Mr Morrison told parliament on Wednesday.

Mr Harwin’s holiday home controversy comes as New Zealand’s Health Minister, David Clark, was demoted this week for breaking lockdown rules and Scotland’s chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, resigned for twice leaving Edinburgh to visit her holiday home, 55km away.