Karen Webb gave gin to Alan Joyce, PR bosses, reveals register NSW Police tried to keep secret
Police Commissioner Karen Webb gave bottles of her Commissioner’s gin to the heads of a PR firm she hired for ‘media advice’ before she became Police Commissioner.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Police Commissioner Karen Webb gave bottles of her Commissioner’s gin to the bosses of a PR firm that she had earlier hired for “media advice” when she was in the running to become the state’s top cop.
DEC PR’s founder Agata Kenna and CEO Michael Henderson each got a bottle of gin from the NSW Police Commissioner in July last year, with a secret register describing the gifts as “corporate etiquette”.
Quizzed during a press conference in Dubbo on Thursday, Ms Webb said she had earlier hired the PR firm for “media advice” before she was commissioner.
“It was a professional engagement,” she said.
“I actually engaged the PR firm before I became commissioner,” she said. “I engaged them … for some media advice on about three occasions before … that announcement.”
DEC PR has been linked with Ms Webb’s luxury car dealer husband. In 2022, the commissioner was pictured alongside Ms Kenna at an International Women’s Day event held at her husband’s car dealership.
Ms Webb maintained that she only found out after the fact that the gin had been purchased from her long-time friend Michael Hope’s distillery.
She also said that she started the process of recording which gifts NSW Police handed out, something which had not occurred before.
“The creation of a gifting register was something I started,” she said.
On Thursday, Ms Webb also maintained that she only found out after the fact that the gin had been purchased from her long-time friend Michael Hope’s distillery.
She also said that she started the process of recording which gifts NSW Police handed out, something which had not occurred before.
“The creation of a gifting register was something I started,” she said.
LINK TO WEBB’S HUSBAND
DEC PR posted a photo to Instagram on March 8 2022, with founder Agata Kenna standing next to Ms Webb at a Women’s Day Function at Maserati’s Sydney dealership, where Ms Webb’s husband worked at the time.
Mr Webb has also been linked to the CEO of DEC PR Michael Henderson, who also received a bottle of gin — according to a secret list revealed by The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday.
DEC PR, and Mr Henderson, were listed as a media contact on a press release from 2014 announcing a new McLaren showroom had opened in Melbourne, operated by auto group Trivett Bespoke.
Ms Webb’s husband, then a dealer principal at Trivett Bespoke, was quoted in the press release.
Previously, Ms Webb had refused to answer that, and other, questions, about the gin she bought from a long-time friend Michael Hope.
MINNS BACKS WEBB
Premier Chris Minns, on Thursday, dismissed questions about why Ms Webb gave a bottle of gin to executives from a PR company linked to her luxury car dealer husband.
Mr Minns defended Ms Webb on Thursday, saying he has no evidence she misled the public about thousands of dollars spent on personalised gin.
“I don’t have evidence that she has misled the public. I mean, she’s been public and fully articulated and explained the circumstances of those gifts,” he said.
However, Mr Minns welcomed that Ms Webb has now banned the practice of giving alcohol as gifts.
When quizzed, Mr Minns would not say whether the gifts should be investigated by integrity agencies, including the corruption watchdog.
“I don’t dictate to integrity agencies what they do and don’t investigate, but they’ve got full power to investigate anything they want,” he said.
The Premier also blasted the NSW Police over “systemic” failures that led to more than 5,500 ballistic vests going missing.
“Clearly, the systems keeping track of the itinerary of the NSW police haven’t been up to scratch, and we need to make sure that they are,” he said.
When asked if Ms Webb retains his complete confidence, Mr Minns said “yes”.
“It’s a highly complex and difficult job being the Police Commissioner of NSW, my experience with the Police Commissioner has been that she has been solidly focused on ensuring police recruitment, (so) that we have a modern police force focused on some of the most difficult issues facing the state,” he said.
It comes after a trove of internal emails tabled to parliament cast doubt on Ms Webb’s claims that she only knew the gin came from her friend’s distillery after the fact.
The Commissioner’s office told a distillery that Ms Webb wanted dozens of bottles of its “blue labelled” gin in time to give out as Christmas gifts.
Ms Webb later stated she had no idea the gin came from Hope Estate until after it was bought.
The documents also reveal who she gave the alcohol to, including Qantas boss Alan Joyce before he left the airline.
The register shows two bottles were given to Qantas representatives in July last year, including to the then-CEO.
When the gin saga was first revealed, Ms Webb initially said it was bought to give to “visiting commissioners and dignitaries”.
Two bottles were handed out to foreign dignitaries: one to the Korean consulate and another to then New Zealand High Commissioner Dame Annette King.
Fifteen were given to representatives at an international policing conference “Pearls in Policing”.
Documents released to parliament suggest Ms Webb had instructed staff about buying the gin from Hope Estate, owned by friend Michael Hope, months before her office was warned against it.
A staffer from her office emailed Hope Estate on October 5 2022 telling them Ms Webb wanted the “blue labelled gin”.
Another email that month said she wanted it available to give out as Christmas gifts that year.
An invoice from Hope Estate is dated November 10, 2022.
In August this year, Ms Webb told 2GB she “didn’t organise the purchase” of the gin and she only “became aware after” it was ordered that she knew the supplier.
Independent MP Rod Roberts has called for the LECC to investigate the revelations.
“The commissioner has consistently denied any knowledge over where the gin was procured from; clearly that is not the case,” he said.
The police watchdog investigated the initial purchase of 50 bottles and found Ms Webb did not break the rules.
The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) has now been asked to investigate a second order of 50 bottles.
Her predecessor Mick Fuller bought Hope Estate wine to give out as gifts.
Documents tabled to parliament also reveal that Ms Webb’s then-Chief of Staff Christine McDonald was warned against buying the gin in an email from a police employee on December 14, 2022.
Documents tabled to parliament also reveal that Ms Webb’s then-Chief of Staff Christine McDonald was warned against buying the gin in an email from a police employee on December 14, 2022.
“Although the above purchase might have progressed in the past, the question I ask myself is, ‘will I be comfortable if this purchase was released to the media’,” the employee said.
“It is a purchase I would be sceptical off (sic) and advise against.”
Ms Webb’s Events Manager then said they would proceed anyway.
NSW Police refused to answer questions, including why Ms Webb gave Mr Joyce a bottle and whether she lied to the watchdog.
On 2GB’s Ben Fordham on Thursday, Independent MP Rod Roberts called on Ms Webb to clarify why the law firm Gilbert and Tobin, and others were given one of the bottles?
“As I say, there’s no inference or wrongdoing on these people’s behalf. I want to make that clear, but Commissioner Webb needs to come out today on the front foot,” he said.
More Coverage
Originally published as Karen Webb gave gin to Alan Joyce, PR bosses, reveals register NSW Police tried to keep secret
Pro-Palestine October 7 vigil gets go-ahead after police deal
A pro-Palestine candlelight vigil planned for the anniversary of October 7 will go ahead despite organisers agreeing in court on Thursday to not hold a march.
Read more
Breastfed baby’s uni graduation palaver sparks anger and apology
Western Sydney University is under pressure from breastfeeding advocates to overhaul its graduation ceremonies, after a young mother was told that her three-month-old needed a ticket.
Read more