Malcolm Turnbull fined $250 for not wearing a lifejacket

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been fined USD 250 for not wearing a lifejacket while steering his dinghy on waters near his Sydney harbor side mansion.

"A $250 fine will apply to the Prime Minister who was not wearing a life jacket when moving his dinghy a short distance earlier this week," local media reported quoting, NSW Roads and Maritime Services, as confirming.

According to the Guardian, the prime minister, who was photographed by the Australian newspaper on Wednesday, was wearing a red rashvest but no lifejacket, which is a breach of New South Wales maritime regulations.

Acknowledging that he had learned his lesson Turnbull, in a Facebook post, said, "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."

Although "the rules can often seem very technical ... they are there to keep us safe and we should all comply with them", he added.

Underscoring that "safety was paramount on NSW waters," the executive director of the maritime division, Angus Mitchell, said, that the incident was a, "timely reminder during the holiday season to always wear a life jacket."

-ANI