Health minister whinges about ‘excruciating’ trip to the US where he stayed at $1,000-a-night Hard Rock Hotel
- NSW Health Minister stayed in a $1,000-a-night luxury hotel on taxpayer funds
- He said the accommodation was chosen by government agents for his US trip
- Mr Hazzard visited San Diego in June for a biotech conference and meetings
- Other minister were also caught staying in expensive accommodation on trips
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard took a luxurious overseas conference trip funded by taxpayers which he claims was ‘excruciating’.
Mr Hazzard visited San Diego, in the US, for a biotech conference and to meet with health officials in June where he stayed at two luxury hotels for $1,000 a night.
The minister first checked in the Urban Boutique Hotel for one night, costing $905, before swapping to Hard Rock Hotel where he stayed in a $1,025-a-night suite.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard (above) stayed in $1,000-a-night accommodation while at a conference in San Diego in June
Mr Hazzard stayed at a luxury suite at the Hard Rock Hotel (above) in San Diego, costing $1,000 a night to tax payers
The famous hotel is known for its rock memorabilia, rooftop pool, and musical atmosphere.
However, when quizzed about the high-cost stay, Mr Hazzard said the trip was strictly business.
‘I left on the Thursday or Friday to get home so I had all of three-and-a-half or four days there, which was fairly excruciating actually,’ he said.
Mr Hazzard says he was forced to stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel (above) due to limited accommodation options
‘We had a number of, well hundreds, of companies there from all across the world, and the focus was to try and accelerate interest in NSW from the biotech industry.
‘I had a day and a half there and then flew to Toronto to meet the health system people there who’d been working on similar issues to us in Covid.’
Mr Hazzard claimed the pricey accommodation was chosen by government agents and that he needed to change hotels because the first was too far from the conference.
Mr Hazzard stayed at the Urban Boutique Hotel (above) for his first night in San Diego, costing $905
He said accommodation was also limited due to a baseball league event and more than 15,000 biotech conference visitors swarming the city.
‘The (Hard Rock) was over the road from the biotech conference and where my health team were staying,’ Mr Hazzard said.
‘It was booked when I got there because the first hotel I had stayed in was too far away from the conference.
‘It was only after I had stayed the night there and woke up for breakfast that I noticed all the ’60s rock memorabilia. I found the biotech conference far more interesting.’
Mr Hazzard then flitted over to Toronto where he stayed at the Courtyard By Marriott for three nights, costing $1,800
After the San Diego stint of his trip, Mr Hazzard flew to Toronto where he stayed at the Courtyard By Marriott for three nights at a cost of $1,841.
Documents released by the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet show Mr Hazzard wasn’t the only minister living the high life with Minister Stuart Ayres spending $6,000 on four nights accommodation while visiting London.
He visited the British capital to talk to Formula One organiser about moving the Melbourne Grand Prix to his own electorate.
Enterprise, Investment and Trade Minister Alister Henskens also took an expensive trip to Israel with taxpayers funding a three-night stay worth more than $2,000.
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