Rubber hits road in estimates as Police Minister grilled over driving record

Police Minister Felix Ellis has been accused of hypocrisy in his ongoing campaign against hooning on Tasmanian roads, after admitting to speeding and driving without a licence.

Felix Ellis, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, faces a budget estimates hearing. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Police Minister Felix Ellis has been accused of hypocrisy in his ongoing campaign against hooning on Tasmanian roads, during a parliamentary hearing in which the state’s top cop also provided lower house members with an update on a state-wide tasers trial.

Facing a House of Assembly budget estimates committee on Thursday, Minister Ellis was questioned about an incident predating his political career when he was caught driving without a current Tasmanian licence.

Describing his lack of licence as “an administrative mistake” that followed a move from interstate in his early 20s, Mr Ellis faced sustained questioning from Labor spokesperson for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Jen Butler, about his robust denunciation of dangerous road behaviours as minister.

Jen Butler Labor member for Lyons. Tasmanian House of Assembly question time. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“You have been pretty fierce about labelling members of the community ‘TikTok turkeys’ and so forth when it comes to hooning,” Ms Butler said.

“And I absolutely agree that hooning can be extremely dangerous.

“But driving without a licence doesn’t pass the pub test … at that time, were you [also] speeding?

Admitting he had failed to change over his valid West Australian licence within the required time limit, Minister Ellis drew a distinction between his “low-range” speeding offence with more dangerous on-road behaviours that involved excessive speed or loss of traction.

“Obviously, hooning is a different kind of offence,” Mr Ellis said.

“In my case, it was a two-demerit point [penalty] that I got in my early 20s – something like 10 years ago – and certainly I encourage all members of the public to drive to the speed limit.

“We understand that mistakes happen, particularly by our young people, but it’s important that people drive with care.

“In reaction to that particular incident, I certainly wish I had driven with more care, being 10kmh or so over the speed limit.”

TasPol Assistant Commissioner Adrian Bodnar and Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management of Tasmania Felix Ellis at Rosny on Wednesday, September 24, 2025.

Updating the committee on a 12-month taser trial which will be funded as part of a $3.7 million budget allocation for protective equipment and safety enhancements, Mr Ellis said 50 units would be purchased and rolled out across the state for testing by frontline staff.

Commissioner of Police, Donna Adams, said she was determined that officers be properly equipped to deal with the daily challenges of their jobs, and identified Tasmania as the only Australian state where tasers were not used.

“As part of our commitment to a safe model of policing, we undertook a review of our operational skills training and our use-of-force options,” Commissioner Adams told the committee through the Minister.

“We also conducted a work health and safety review as a result of the tragic North Motton incident, and in both of those reviews it was identified that we had a capability gap in terms of the use of tasers.

Felix Ellis Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management. Budget estimates 2025. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“Every jurisdiction across Australia has a taser as a capability that they can utilise.

“We’ve been very cautious in moving towards the use of Tasers, and want to ensure that the use of tasers is well-regulated with thorough training and a clear understanding of when that use of force option should be relied upon by our officers.”

During questioning from Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MHA, Carlo Di Falco, about the number of exemptions police had provided to government departments for the use of firearm “silencers”, Commissioner Adams was asked whether such a device was used in the recent shooting of a police car at Collinsvale.

“Mindful of the fact that this matter is before the courts, I can confirm that a sound suppressor was used with the weapon that fired upon police who attended that residence,” Commissioner Adams said.

Originally published as Rubber hits road in estimates as Police Minister grilled over driving record