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The dismissal of a string of senior media advisors for the nation’s largest police drive is predicted to price taxpayers greater than $700,000 because the NSW commissioner hunts for a fifth public-relations chief.
Police Commissioner Karen Webb has once more come underneath fireplace after it was revealed her resolution to half methods with 4 earlier media heads in simply two years had led to termination funds of $687,613.
Former Seven Community TV producer Steve Jackson was the most recent to be given the boot from the highly-paid position of government director of public affairs after his appointment was mired in controversy.
Mr Jackon’s payout for his weeks-long interim appointment is prone to convey the overall price of the termination funds to greater than $700,000.
The $687,613 determine was launched in solutions to questions from the impartial NSW higher home MP Rod Roberts.
The previous police officer mentioned it was an “exorbitant” waste of taxpayer cash for the dismissal of three media advisors – excluding Mr Jackson’s short-lived stint – “just because Karen Webb’s not proud of them”.
“When you undergo three you have to begin wanting on the widespread denominator in all this,” Mr Roberts advised AAP.
Grant Williams, Alex Hodgkinson and Liz Deegan have been all axed from the position since Ms Webb’s appointment as commissioner in February 2022.
All three have been legally entitled underneath the Police Act to termination funds equal to 38 weeks’ pay.
Mr Jackson’s appointment got here underneath intense scrutiny partially attributable to his friendship with Police Minister Yasmin Catley’s chief of employees, Ross Neilson.
Ms Webb admitted she had requested Mr Neilson, who as soon as ran the police media unit, for references for the position as she didn’t have a variety of connections within the trade.
Questions have been additionally requested about Mr Jackson’s suitability attributable to his position in courting Bruce Lehrmann for an unique interview with Seven’s Highlight program, which included an try to reverse one other worker’s firm credit-card costs for a Thai therapeutic massage.
Earlier media chief Liz Deegan was taken off the job after Ms Webb fielded widespread criticism of her public response to the case of Beau Lamarre-Condon, a serving NSW officer accused of murdering two males together with his service weapon.
“Most cops be a part of the police to be within the police drive, to not be within the media, and so actually I can do higher and I’ll,” the commissioner mentioned in March.
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