Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has been caught behind the wheel using her phone. She was already drawing attention to herself driving the Liberal Toyota Yaris campaign car in Perth. Her partner David Panton was sitting next to her.
The witness who caught Bishop was driving along the Great Eastern Highway in Perth near the Burswood Casino. Ironically, he was also in the wrong, taking a picture while behind the wheel. But we guess it’s not everyday that you see a political figure in the car next to you!
WA law states: “Whilst driving, you can only touch a mobile phone to receive and terminate a phone call if the phone is secured in a mounting affixed to the vehicle. If the phone is not secured in a mounting, it can only be used to receive or terminate a phone call without touching it like voice activation, a Bluetooth hands-free car kit, ear piece or headset” (The Sydney Morning Herald).
Bishop did own up for her mistakes and said, “Everyone should comply with the law and I will ensure this does not happen again” (The Sydney Morning Herald). Fines of up to $400 apply for drivers in Western Australia, as well as a loss of three demerit points. Bishop was lucky to come away without a fine and loss of demerit points.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Labor leader Bill Shorten, who was fined $443 by the Victorian police 6 months ago for the same incident.
