NSW Health Minister Ryan Park under siege for using ministerial car to travel 456kms from Sydney to Jindabyne
Ministerial car documents that were provided to The Guardian revealed that Mr Park had journeyed 456kms from Sydney to Jindabyne last August.
The lengthy trip between Parliament House to the Snowy Mountains on August 29, which included a ministerial driver, was made during peak ski season.
It is also believed the journey fell in the last few weeks of the interschools ski competition, which Mr Park's son participated in.
The Guardian reported that Mr Park's son attended school in the surrounding region at the time.
However, personal trips made by Ministers using government vehicles were permitted until February this year.
NSW Premier Chris Minns announced a tightening of the rules on private use of taxpayer funded drivers after former Transport Minister Jo Haylen had her ministerial driver take her on a 446-kilometre, 13 hour round-trip from her holiday home to a lunch at a Hunter Valley winery on the Australia Day weekend.
A Sydney Morning Herald investigation into NSW Ministers who used taxpayer financed drivers for family holidays showed that Mr Park took two trips to Thredbo in November and December 2024, travelling 1000 kilometres on both occasions.
Mr Park at the time said the use of the vehicle allowed him to 'reunite with family while undertaking work on a handful of other occasions.'
The files only documented Mr Park's trip to Jindabyne and did not record a return journey.
Ministerial diaries show that Mr Park had meetings with the Australian Workers Union on the 27th of August and another with Unions NSW on the 28th of August, in addition to two unnamed meetings on the 29th of August at either his ministerial office or Parliament.
However, no ministerial diary entries, social media posts or press releases explained the reason for his presence in Jindabyne on the 29th and 30th of August 2024.
The travel documents also revealed the Minister made a 250km trip with a ministerial vehicle from Albury to Jindabyne on 6 September 2023.
Mr Park told The Guardian in relation to the September 2023 he attended 'ministerial business in Jindabyne' and that 'these trips were in accordance with the rules at the time.'
'I've always followed the relevant guidelines,' Mr Park said.
Logs show that Ms Haylen also used a taxpayer funded chauffeur to take her to or from her Caves Beach holiday house at least 14 times.
NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley also used a ministerial vehicle in late April to return home from a holiday with his family in South West Rocks after the Premier announced a review into the bail of Daniel Billings who allegedly murdered Molly Ticehurst.
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