Jo Haylen has stepped down as NSW transport minister over the use of her taxpayer-funder driver for private events.Haylen has been under fire over the revelations that she used a ministerial driver to attend a private lunch at Brokenwood Winery in the Hunter Valley on January 25.She today apologised and said she would step down from the portfolio.
Jo Haylen has quit as transport minister over her use of a taxpayer-funded driver. (Nine)"As I said on Sunday, I've made some mistakes, people aren't perfect, I did not break the rules but I acknowledge that's not the only test here," she said."I let the public down and I'm sorry for that."This morning I've told the premier that I will resign my position as minister for transport."Details emerged earlier this week that Haylen had used her ministerial driver to travel 446km from Sydney to her holiday house at Caves Beach.The driver also took her and Housing Minister Rose Jackson, along with their husbands and two friends, to the private lunch at Brokenwood Winery in the Hunter Valley the day before Australia Day.The driver waited three hours for them to finish eating before dropping them back to Caves Beach and returning to Sydney over 13 hours later. The transport minister said she would foot the $750 bill for the trip.Since the first revelations about the winery trip, further claims have been made about Haylen's use of the driver, including to take her children to Saturday sport.
Premier Chris Minns called Haylen's actions "indefensible". (Rhett Wyman)She admitted today that she had also used her driver for a second trip to the Hunter Valley but under different circumstances. "I did take a trip last year with my husband to the Hunter Valley, it was not the same circumstances as the 25th of January, I was working that day," Haylen said. "I do want to acknowledge the use of my personal driver was an error in judgement by me."My mistakes are now causing my government damage."Haylen will still retain her role as the Member for Summer Hill.Earlier today, Premier Chris Minns called Haylen's actions "indefensible", but said he wouldn't fire her from the transport portfolio."Ultimately, we should have changed the rules in relation to ministerial drivers as soon as we were elected," Minns said."We are changing the rules in NSW."More to come.
