Tuesday, 15 October 2019

 Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (18:07): My adjournment matter today is for the Premier, and it concerns further allegations—even more allegations—of illegal behaviour at Crown Casino. These allegations have been made by former staff and whistleblowers within the regulator, the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation. The action I seek is for the Premier to urgently establish an inquiry to investigate these allegations and the many others that have come before.

On Monday I joined federal independent MP Andrew Wilkie in Canberra as we released video testimony from a former Crown employee detailing instances where he had witnessed activity such as the abuse of women, the transport of illegal drugs, the flouting of customs laws and more. Today Mr Wilkie called for a federal royal commission, which was voted down by the major parties, who do not want to face this issue.

Today documents and video leaked by whistleblowers from the casino regulator itself showed large amounts of money being laundered over the counter at the casino. Crown can continue to say, ‘Nothing to see here’, but this is footage from their own cameras. They say that they are scrupulous and have a strong record of compliance, that we should not believe our own eyes and that we should take their word that it is all ‘fake news’. Well, in that case they should welcome an inquiry to clear their name.

The biggest travesty in all of this is that the public is not surprised by this behaviour at all. They just figure Crown is a mecca for illegal activity and nothing will be done because ex-politicians are on Crown’s payroll, they are on the board and they are their lobbyists, and the business simply pumps too much into our economy. Well, they should be shocked, and they should be outraged. They should expect more from us.

I ask the Premier: when is enough enough? When will this government act on what are clear breaches of our laws? This Parliament needs to restore some public faith in our systems and in our Parliament, so I am asking that the Premier acts. This government must establish an inquiry into Crown to shine a light on what we have seen to date and on whether this is, as one of the whistleblowers said, ‘just the tip of the iceberg’.