Chris Minns looks to change rules after Jo Haylen uses ministerial driver for private lunch

The NSW Premier wants to change the rules after Transport Minister Jo Haylen used a tax-payer-funded driver to attend a private lunch.

Transcript

00:00Well, I mean, I expect everybody to comply with the rules,

00:03but I also expect everybody to show good judgment here.

00:06I think, and I want to make it clear,

00:09I'm certainly not coming here today and saying,

00:12because this is an incident complied with the rules,

00:16it's OK, it's not.

00:17It's bad judgment by any stretch of the imagination.

00:21With that in mind, I think the best thing I can do

00:23is look at changing the rules to ensure that this isn't done again

00:28and that the public can have confidence

00:30that it doesn't come down to a judgment called by a minister.

00:33It's just not allowed.

00:34How are you changing the rules?

00:35Maddy?

00:36How are you changing...?

00:37What do you deem to be acceptable to the government?

00:39Should ministers use ministerial drivers for any kind of function?

00:43Ministerial drivers...

00:44I mean, the first point here is it's a privilege to have a driver.

00:49It's certainly not a right.

00:51And all drivers need to be treated with respect.

00:54And the job of a driver

00:56is to help the minister in their role.

00:58And there may be a point in time for a busy minister's life

01:03that the kids are dropped off at school on the way to the office

01:07with the minister in the car.

01:09Now, that would be done so that my ministers can work even harder

01:13on behalf of New South Wales taxpayers.

01:14I think that there's a world of difference between that

01:17and organising for a trip up the North Coast

01:19for a purely private function.

01:22But there are rules that we're drafting up

01:24that we need to get in place.

01:25I don't have them with me today,

01:27but I need to make sure that they're in place

01:29so it doesn't happen again,

01:30and that these incidents aren't reliant on just good judgement.

01:35They're not allowed.