Australia's youngest politician is caught speeding while driving in her taxpayer-funded vehicle

By NICHOLAS COMINO, POLITICAL REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 04:06, 12 August 2026 | Updated: 04:06, 12 August 2026 Australia's youngest federal politician, South Australian Senator Charlotte Walker, has been fined for speeding after driving 8km/h over the limit. 'Senator Walker has regrettably incurred a speeding fine for driving 8km/h over the speed limit on 13 November 2025,' a spokesperson for the 22-year-old told the Daily Mail on Wednesday.  'She has paid the fine as is appropriate.' Under South Australian road laws, drivers caught exceeding the limit by less than 10km/h can be hit with a $215 fine and two demerit points.  Walker's offence fell within that category. The infringement was linked to a private-plated car provided under the parliamentary fleet scheme, which allows MPs and senators to use taxpayer-funded vehicles for both work and personal use. Walker also paid a $15 processing fee back to the government, according to Independent Parliamentary Expense Authority documents. Under the fleet scheme, parliamentarians lease vehicles through government-contracted providers, with taxpayers covering costs including registration, fuel, servicing and maintenance. Charlotte Walker (left) was caught speeding 8km an hour over the speed limit last year  The vehicles have standard number plates, not government identifiers, and are managed by Ministerial and Parliamentary Services. MPs and senators can choose a fully funded private-plated car or take a $19,500-a-year cash allowance. Those who keep the car also receive a $16,910 annual transport budget to cover taxis, rideshares and other travel when their main vehicle isn't available. Ministerial and Parliamentary Services and the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority oversee the arrangements. Walker drew national headlines after she joined the Senate at age 21, becoming Australia's youngest federal politician following Labor's landslide win in 2025. At the time, she was South Australian Young Labor president and had been placed third on Labor's Senate ticket – a position widely viewed as unwinnable. But the party's stronger-than-expected result delivered an extra Senate spot, sending Walker to parliament on her 21st birthday. Since arriving in Canberra, Walker has faced scrutiny over her age and her parliamentary salary. Walker is likely to have received a fine as much as $215 as per South Australia road laws   Federal senators are paid more than $239,000 a year. Walker has rejected claims her age makes her out of touch, pointing to a childhood where money was often tight and where she had to support herself from an early age. By 14, Walker was working at a supermarket and gradually became financially independent. Before entering parliament, she worked in retail, childcare administration, private health insurance, political staffing and, most recently, at the Australian Services Union. 'We don't make decisions about how much we earn, I think we should just leave it that way, but I'm very aware that nearly every other person my age earns significantly less,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald earlier this year. 'If you're naive to that, then you're probably going to be less effective as a representative of these people.' Walker has also argued parliament should better reflect the diversity of the Australian community, including younger Australians.