Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move a motion relating to the establishment of a Joint Select Committee into Crown Casino in the terms circulated in my name.

Leave not granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Clark from moving the following motion forthwith—That:

(1) a Joint Select Committee into Crown Casino be appointed to inquire into and report on public allegations involving Crown Casino, with particular reference to:

(a) accusations of Crown Casino's links to organised crime, money laundering, improper activity by consular officials, tampering with poker machines, and domestic violence and drug trafficking on Crown property, including:

  (i) the allegations raised in the House of Representatives on 18 October 2017 by the Member for Clark (the then-Member for Denison) concerning Crown Casino;

  (ii) the Member for Clark's referral to the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission on 24 July 2019 of the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation and the Victorian Police; and

  (iii) reports by Nine newspapers and 60 Minutes in July 2019 concerning alleged criminal activity and misconduct involving Crown Casino;

(b) the actions taken or omissions made by state and federal agencies in responding to these allegations, and in particular the actions of the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation and the Victoria Police;

(c) the relationship between Crown Casino and governments, including the role of former members of state and federal parliaments; and

(d) any related matters;

(2) the committee may report from time to time but make an interim report by 30 October 2019 and a final report by 28 February 2020;

(3) the committee consist of 16 members, three Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Chief Government Whip, three members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Chief Opposition Whip, two Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Member for Clark, three Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate; three Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, one Senator to be nominated by the Leader of the Australian Greens, and one Senator from Centre Alliance;

(4) participating members may be appointed to the committee, may participate in hearings of evidence and deliberations of the committee, and have all the rights of members of the committee, but may not vote on any questions before the committee;

The entire motion goes for some two pages, but, just so everyone understands exactly what's going on here, I will read section (1) of the motion:

(1) a Joint Select Committee into Crown Casino be appointed to inquire into and report on public allegations involving Crown Casino, with particular reference to:

(a) accusations of Crown Casino's links to organised crime, money laundering, improper activity by consular officials, tampering with poker machines, and domestic violence and drug trafficking on Crown property, including:

  (i) the allegations raised in the House of Representatives on 18 October 2017 by the Member for Clark (the then-Member for Denison) concerning Crown Casino;

  (ii) the Member for Clark's referral to the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission on 24 July 2019 of the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation and the Victorian Police; and

  (iii) reports by Nine newspapers and 60 Minutes in July 2019 concerning alleged criminal activity and misconduct involving Crown Casino;

(b) the actions taken or omissions made by state and federal agencies in responding to these allegations, and in particular the actions of the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation and the Victoria Police;

(c) the relationship between Crown Casino and governments, including the role of former members of state and federal parliaments; and

(d) any related matters;

There is clearly an urgent need for standing orders to be suspended for the parliament to deal with this matter. Just in the last couple of days, the allegations that have been made concerning Crown have been nothing short of breathtaking—allegations such as the casino's links with organised crime and the Chinese ruling elite; the fact that wanted international criminals are flying in and out of Australia on private jets to gamble at Crown Casino; allegations of money laundering; allegations of sweetheart deals with consular officials to facilitate hundreds of visas for Crown patrons every year; and allegations of the moonlighting of Australian officials working for foreign nationals and crime figures.

These are breathtaking allegations and of such importance that there is a pressing need for the parliament to suspend standing orders and to debate the motion to establish a committee of inquiry into Crown. There is especially urgent need for a parliamentary inquiry, and in fact a joint select parliamentary inquiry, because these matters and allegations now are outside of the remit of any one regulatory or justice agency. In fact, they're multijurisdictional, involving both Victorian and federal matters. They're multiagency; the allegations go to the performance of Victoria Police, the VCGLR, the Australian Federal Police, AUSTRAC, the department of transport, Border Force and ASIO. The allegations are multinational, involving, as they do, not just events and people here in Australia but events overseas and foreign nationals. There is clearly an urgent need for standing orders to be suspended for this parliament to debate the merits and, indeed, to set up a joint select committee to investigate these matters. I would add that the allegations that we know of so far are just the tip of the iceberg.

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