Special Minister of State, and Minister for the Public Service and Employee Relations, Aboriginal Affairs, and the Arts, Liberal MLC Don Harwin - a member of the NSW Parliament for the past 21 years - was caught deliberately floughting the current COVID-19 public health order.
Liberal power broker Harwin (pictured), whose principal place of residence is in well-heeled Elizabeth Bay, was found by The Daily Telegraph on 8 April 2020 at his $1.3 million beachfront investment property.
He has apparently been travelling back and forth to his holiday home from Sydney for the last three weeks, has allegedly been entertaining at least one guest at Pearl Bay in that period and, been seen wandering in and out of stores in a shopping centre on one of those trips back to Sydney.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian is refusing to sack Harwin from her ministry.
NSW Police Public Site - News, 9 April 2020:
A man has been issued a $1000 Penalty Infringement Notice (PIN) by police conducting inquiries into the circumstances surrounding his recent travels to a holiday home on the Central Coast.
Police were alerted yesterday (Wednesday 8 April 2020), that a 55-year-old Elizabeth Bay man had relocated to a holiday home at Pearl Beach, in contravention of current Ministerial Direction under the Public Health Act.
After reports he had breached the order, the man returned to Sydney today (Thursday 9 April 2020).
As part of inquiries, investigators from Central Metropolitan Region attended the Elizabeth Bay home unit and spoke with the man.
Following further inquiries, the man was issued a $1000 PIN via email just before 9pm, for failing to comply with noticed direction (Section 5 – COVID-19).
NSW Police Commissioner Fuller said the directions are in place to protect the lives of people in NSW.
“Police have been given these powers to ensure the community spread of COVID-19– which we know is devastating communities across the globe – is minimised,” the Commissioner said.
“You only need to look at the statistics to see that people are dying where appropriate measures have either not been established or are ignored.
“No one individual or corporation is above these laws – anyone suspected of breaching the orders will be investigated and if a breach is detected, they will be dealt with in accordance with the Act.
“On behalf of the community, I strongly urge those with information about breaches to contact police.”
Anyone who has information regarding individuals or businesses in contravention of a COVID-19-related ministerial direction is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.