Jo Haylen Resigns as NSW Transport Minister Following Lake Mac / Hunter Chauffeur Scandal

Transport Minister Jo Haylen has resigned from Cabinet after revelations surfaced that she repeatedly used a taxpayer-funded government driver for personal travel to Lake Macquarie and the Hunter, triggering widespread backlash and political fallout.

On the Australia Day long weekend, Haylen arranged for a ministerial driver to complete a 13-hour, 446-kilometre round trip. The journey started in Sydney, took her to her holiday residence at Caves Beach near Newcastle, and continued to a Hunter Valley winery for a private luncheon with friends, including Housing Minister Rose Jackson. The trip, costing approximately $750, was technically allowed under existing ministerial guidelines but has been widely criticised for failing the “pub test.”

Following the revelation of the winery trip, further allegations of transport misuse emerged. Haylen reportedly used the government-provided car and driver to ferry her children from her holiday home to sporting events in Sydney, a 300-kilometre round trip that was undertaken four or five times. Additionally, she acknowledged a separate trip in 2024 with her husband to the Hunter Valley, arguing that the circumstances were different because she was “working” on that occasion. Reports also suggested that a Sunday lunch trip in the Blue Mountains was arranged from the home of her then-chief-of-staff.

Haylen announced her resignation during a press conference at NSW Parliament on Tuesday morning, acknowledging the public’s concerns.

“I did not break the rules, but I acknowledge that that’s not the only test here. I’ve let the public down, and I’m very sorry for that,” she said.

Reflecting on the challenge of balancing her ministerial duties with family life, she added, “You don’t switch on and off from being a Minister. You don’t switch off being a Mum either.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns, who had initially defended Haylen as a hardworking minister, condemned the misuse of taxpayer funds.

“The private use of a ministerial driver is unacceptable, it gives the government a bad reputation,” Minns told 2GB radio. “We need to treat taxpayer money as if it were our own.”

The Premier announced immediate changes to the Minister’s Office Handbook to ensure ministerial drivers are used strictly for official business, with private travel only permitted when incidental to official duties.

Opposition Leader Mark Speakman criticised Haylen’s conduct, stating it demonstrated “a contempt for the taxpayer” and reflected poor leadership. There have also been calls for Housing Minister Rose Jackson to answer questions regarding her role in the Australia Day winery trip.

Haylen, who has represented the electorate of Summer Hill since 2015 and was appointed Transport Minister in March 2023, is also under scrutiny for previous controversies. She was previously involved in a dispute over the appointment of former Labor staffer Josh Murray as Secretary of Transport for NSW and a separate departmental liaison officer scandal. While she had survived those earlier issues with the backing of Premier Minns, the driver scandal proved too significant a distraction for the government.

Despite the controversy, Haylen defended her record as Transport Minister.

“When we came to government, we inherited a transport system on its knees,” she said. “I’m incredibly proud that we’ve managed to make public transport exciting again. People are voting with their feet. Public transport is the great social equaliser.” However, she admitted that her use of ministerial transport had “caused government damage.”

John Graham has been appointed as the interim Transport Minister, with the government moving swiftly to restore confidence in the department and tighten ministerial travel regulations.

While Haylen will remain the Member for Summer Hill, her resignation from Cabinet marks a major political moment for the Minns government, as it seeks to reaffirm fiscal responsibility and rebuild public trust in elected officials.