Culture

A Victorian MP Has Been Getting His Taxpayer-Funded Driver To Chauffeur His Pet Dogs

Dog act.

by Tom Clift  27 October 2016

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In another reassuring sign that the age of entitlement is over, Victorian Corrections Minister Steve Herbert has apologised to taxpayers after it was revealed he used his government driver to chauffeur his pet dogs Ted and Patch between his home in Parkdale and his country house in Trentham more than 120km away.

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According to The Herald Sun, Herbert’s driver would ferry the Jack Russell terriers between the two properties while the minister was at work. When questioned last night, Herbert initially justified the arrangement, telling the paper that “I have a house in the country and in the city and it suited the driver occasionally to pick up the dogs when she was doing nothing, rather than go home and then come back again.”

“Quite frankly, there was absolutely no issue and if she didn’t want to do it, she didn’t have to,” he said. Asked how many times the driver had acted as an animal taxi service, he replied that he had “no idea, not the foggiest.”

Despite his initial defiance, the minister walked back his statements a few hours later, saying that “on reflection, this use of the ministerial car does not meet community expectations and I apologise.”

He told reporters this morning that “being a minister in the senior portfolios, it’s a tough job. It’s a really tough job and sometimes you make mistakes. And this was one of them.”

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said that Herbert’s misuse of his ministerial car was “arrogant and ­totally out of touch” and called on Premier Daniel Andrews to give him the sack.

Speaking on ABC Radio, the Premier said Herbert would remain in his job. “He’s made it very clear that what he did was inappropriate, he’s apologised for that,” said Andrews. “He’s indicated that that won’t be happening again.”

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Feature image via Steve Herbert/Facebook