Dozens of blanked out documents: What the NSW Police don’t want taxpayers knowing

The NSW Police Force is refusing to release documents revealing details about the hiring and firing of Commissioner Karen Webb’s senior staff which has cost taxpayers more than $250,000.

Liz Deegan, top left, Steve Jackson, middle and Police Commissioner Karen Webb, right. Pictures: News Corp/Supplied

The NSW Police Force is refusing to release documents regarding the hiring and firing of Commissioner Karen Webb’s senior staff which has cost taxpayers more than $250,000.

Requests by The Daily Telegraph under the Government Information Public Access Act were delayed for weeks before they returned a 75-page document – 70 pages of which were blank.

The five pages that were released included articles and emails this publication had written at the time of the controversial sacking of Public Affairs executive director Liz Deegan, and the shock hire of her replacement, former television producer Steve Jackson.

“It makes you wonder what they are trying to hide,” Upper House Independent MP and former NSW Police officer Rod Roberts said on Monday.

Commissioner Webb’s office became embroiled in controversy when Ms Deegan, the police chief’s third adviser in two years, was sacked on March 13 after less than a year in the role.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

Ms Deegan is understood to have been paid out more than $200,000 at the taxpayer’s expense.

Just days after her shock dismissal, former Channel 7 Spotlight executive producer Mr Jackson was announced as her replacement despite the position not being advertised,

However, Mr Jackson was paid out – a rumoured $20,000 – before he even began in the role, after he was named in defamation proceedings as being aware of a Channel 7 credit card being used by another person to pay for Thai massages for former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann.

Liz Deegan is understood to have been paid out more than $200,000.

Steve Jackson was paid out $20,000 without working a day. Picture: Ryan Osland

Mr Jackson was a senior staffer on the current affairs show that was trying to sign Lehrmann for a tell-all interview when the massages were ordered. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Mr Jackson, who wasn’t present on the night in question.

The Daily Telegraph applied to see correspondence between Commissioner Webb’s office and that of Police Minister Yasmin Catley – after Ms Catley confirmed it was her chief-of-staff Ross Neilson who suggested Mr Jackson for the role.

The application also requested all correspondence between Commissioner Webb’s office and Ms Catley’s staff, over the sacking of Ms Deegan.

The GIPA Act allows the public a right to access government information ‘unless there is an overriding public interest against disclosure’.

Upper House Independent MP and former NSW Police officer Rod Roberts.

NSW Police said the 70 pages of redacted information were due to a range of ‘privacy and operational’ reasons.

“I understand that given the current events that have unfolded in relation to this specific recruitment process there is public attention and media interest over the requested information,” NSW Police said in its reply to the application.

“However, I have decided to give significant weight to the considerations against disclosure.”

Mr Roberts said the reasons against disclosure were a cop out.

“Saying privacy reasons does not cut it, they are public servants and we are paying them or in this case, paying them out,” Mr Roberts said.

“It makes you wonder what they are trying to hide or else why wouldn’t they provide the information.

“The Police Minister and the Treasurer should be asking these questions especially in these tough financial times”.

Ms Deegan was sacked amid widespread criticism of Commissioner Webb failing to address the public early enough after serving officer Constable Beau Lamarre-Condon was charged with murdering Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies in February using his service glock.

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