Last-minute casino bill tweaks open door to bigger stick for Star

The Queensland government will have a new suite of powers, including fines of up to $100 million for regulatory breaches, available in its looming decision to dish out penalties for embattled casino giant Star Entertainment.

Last-minute amendments, inspired by a recent state-based probe into the company, were passed as part of the Palaszczuk government’s existing casino sector reform bill on Friday.

The Star Gold Coast casino in Broadbeach.

But not before debate around the bill descended into efforts by both major political parties to link the other to Star, with allegations levelled at the opposition by senior Labor MPs of a casino fundraiser amid the inquiry.

Suggesting LNP hypocrisy for criticism of Labor’s close ties with the company, Deputy Premier Steven Miles accused LNP leader David Crisafulli and deputy leader Jarrod Bleijie of holding a “high dollar” event in the penthouse of its Darling Hotel on the Gold Coast in June.

Bleijie later rebuked Miles and Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman, telling parliament the event at the Nineteen rooftop restaurant was not paid for by Star in any way. He said he would make a complaint about the parliament being misled.

“They have corrupted the political system,” Bleijie said. “The Liberal National Party need to fundraise, and we will fundraise, because ... business people want to change the government.”

The Labor government put a stop to cash-for-access events in July, and had called on the opposition to do the same. It is yet to agree to.

Fentiman and the casino regulator are now preparing to issue Star with a 21-day show cause notice, after it was deemed unsuitable to hold its Brisbane Treasury and Gold Coast casino licences last week.

She brushed off criticism from the opposition about handing over 27-pages of amendments to the casino bill shortly before debate began this week.

“That’s why it’s so important we get these urgent amendments through the parliament,” Fentiman told reporters on Friday, pointing to the Robert Gotterson inquiry suggested inclusion of powers to appoint a special manager.

“It’s not something that currently exists in our legislation. So, once the bill passes, we’ll have that option — we can then issue Star with a show cause notice.”

Fentiman also justified amendments allowing the government to make regulatory changes without having to compensate Star under financial agreements as a response taken by other jurisdictions to “common” arrangements.

The opposition also used debate to criticise the narrow scope of the recent review in not dealing with north Queensland casinos and the interaction of Star with the government, and perceived delay in acting on concerns swirling around the sector for years.

“According to the opposition, we’ve acted too slowly, but now we’re rushing things,” Fentiman said.

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