Revealed: Why minister Ron Hoenig summoned driver on Christmas Day

A ministerial chauffeur drove 71km on Christmas Day to take Ron Hoenig to the airport … 3km from the Local Government Minister’s house.

Senior Minister Ron Hoenig forced a taxpayer-funded chauffeur to drive a 71km round trip on Christmas Day so he could be driven to the airport, which is less than 5km from his house.

The revelation is the latest bombshell to emerge from the Jo “Van” Haylen saga, after almost 4500 pages of driver logs were released under freedom of information laws.

The Saturday Telegraph can reveal that Mr Hoenig – whose Heffron electorate includes the airport in Mascot – used a ministerial “pool” driver to get from his Rosebery house to the airport on Christmas Day, while on leave, so he could fly to Europe for a family holiday.

The driver was earning double time on the public holiday, with the trip costing taxpayers $95 per hour.

It is not known how long the driver took to complete the 71km round trip, which would have included driving from their home to Roseberry, then to the airport before returning home.

A ministerial chauffeur drove 71km to take Ron Hoenig 3km to the airport on Christmas Day. Picture: Nikki Short

The Local Government Minister took extended leave from December 25 to January 22.

When The Telegraph previously inquired about the extended break, Mr Hoenig’s office said that the minister had taken official leave to visit family in Europe, noting that he had not taken a holiday since the election.

“I am Jewish so I don’t celebrate Christmas” Mr Hoenig said in response to questions.

“I was working that morning in my electorate before being driven to the airport, as was allowed under the guidelines.

Veterans Minister David Harris used a car and chauffeur to take his wife home from Sydney to Wyong. Picture: Christian Gilles

Meanwhile, The Saturday Telegraph can also reveal that Veterans Minister David Harris tasked a ministerial driver with taking his wife home from Sydney to Wyong while he stayed in the city ahead of parliament.

Mr Harris, his wife, and a policy adviser had attended an event in the Central West of NSW commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Cowra breakout, when 1000 Japanese prisoners of war escaped from a POW camp.

The trio travelled from Mr Harris’ home in Wyong on August 5, returning to Sydney late that evening ahead of parliament the next day.

Mr Harris stayed in Sydney, and asked a ministerial driver to take his wife home to Wyong.

Jo Haylen resigned over her use of ministerial drivers. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

When the Telegraph revealed Transport Minister Jo Haylen had used a ministerial driver to go to a Hunter Valley winery, Mr Harris told cabinet colleagues he had recently tasked a driver with taking his wife back to The Central Coast.

All of the trips were within the rules at the time, which allowed ministers to use chauffeurs for business and private trips.

Premier Chris Minns was forced to change those rules following the “Van Haylen” saga, over which the Summer Hill MP resigned as minister.

She said that while she had not broken the rules, she had made an “error of judgment” in using her driver for the winery trip.

Ministers are now banned from using drivers solely for personal trips.

Thousands of driver logs dating back to 2019 are set to be tabled in parliament next week.

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Originally published as Revealed: Why minister Ron Hoenig summoned driver on Christmas Day