Lord Mayor's double park blames the Council driver

Fine with her: Clover Moore pays for chauffeur to park

The Australian - Angus Hohenboken June 10, 2008

SYDNEY'S Lord Mayor has offered to pay a parking fine on behalf of her chauffeur after he was caught parking illegally outside her house.
Footage of Clover Moore's driver double-parking outside her home over a period of several days was shown on Seven News last night.
It showed the driver leaving his locked vehicle next to cars parked at the kerb, despite the availability of parking spaces close by. Seven said neighbours reported the driver double-parked regularly.
A spokesman for the Lord Mayor said Ms Moore would discipline her driver. "The Lord Mayor has offered to pay a fine if the driver was not parked properly and has asked him to ensure it does not happen again," the spokesman said.
The City of Sydney Council used undercover rangers last year to catch and fine parents for parking illegally when dropping their children at school.
The revelations come after NSW Education Minister John Della Bosca was last month caught for speeding for the seventh time in just over a year, causing him to lose his driving licence.
City of Sydney councillor Shayne Mallard said politicians and councillors needed to set better examples on the road.
Mr Mallard said he was disappointed that Ms Moore was blaming the driver.
"They are public servants and by and large they follow instructions," he said.
"The bigger issue is the hypocrisy. The Lord Mayor's administration makes a lot of profit out of parking fines in this city; one would think they would adhere to their own rules and laws in regards to the council's own vehicles. The Lord Mayor should know the rules."

View Channel 7 story here.

Lord Mayor's driver facing fine