Jo Helen New, the Minister for Transport in New South Wales, Australia, has resigned after revelations that she used an official government car for personal purposes, including a trip with friends to lunch.
According to foreign media reports, Helen instructed her government-assigned driver to take her and several friends on a 13-hour, 446-kilometer trip from Sydney to a resort in Caves Beach, then to a Hunter Valley winery, before returning. The controversy escalated after it was revealed that she had also used a government driver to transport her children for weekend sports events in Sydney from Caves Beach, approximately 100 kilometers away.
Although New South Wales laws permit ministers to use official cars for personal reasons, Helen acknowledged that the weekend trip with friends was inappropriate. Facing mounting public criticism, she announced her resignation, admitting to errors in judgment.
“I made mistakes; people are not perfect,” she said. While she insisted that she had not broken the law, Helen stated that she had let the public down and took full responsibility for her actions.
She further admitted to taking a ministerial car on a trip to Hunter Valley with her husband in 2024, adding, “My mistake. These issues are now harming my government. Politics is difficult.”
Despite the controversy, no formal investigation has been launched against her. However, Helen’s resignation highlights the increasing scrutiny of public officials and their use of taxpayer-funded resources.
