Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was fined $ 250 after being photographed driving a lifeboat without wearing a lifejacket. Turnbull issued an apology on Facebook after the Australian newspaper posted photos of him in a motorized inflatable raft near his home in Sydney Harbor. The Liberal politician, owner of a waterfront mansion in the affluent area of Point Piper, east of Syndey, said the rules regarding maritime safety were "very technical" but he had " learned his lesson. Following the publication of the photos, Mr. Turnbull said he called the local marine authorities, who confirmed that he was breaking the rules. The South Sea and Highways Authority of New South Wales has since confirmed that the fine would be imposed on the Prime Minister. In his apology on Facebook, Mr. Turnbull said he was only moving the burrow a short distance and was close to the shore when the photo was taken.
He said: “Water safety is all important especially at this time of year and as I discovered today we all need to be very alert to rules about wearing life jackets. Yesterday I was moving an inflatable dinghy from a jetty into the beach - only about 20 metres and always very close to the shore.
“I wasn’t wearing a life jacket, but as NSW Maritime explained to me today when I called them, because I was in the dinghy alone, even for that very short distance the NSW regulations required me to wear one.
“The rules can often seem very technical, but they are there to keep us safe and we should all comply with them. So lesson learned; I will make sure I always wear a life jacket in my dinghy regardless of how close I am to the shore, just as I always do on my kayak.”#Africa ... spill TEA.... Easy on Shade #jaiyeorie
0 Comments