Pub heir Craig Laundy to run for Liberal party in safe Federal Labor seat Reid

THE heir to one of Australia's richest pub empires who is set to run for the Liberals in a federal seat is from a family with a long Labor history.

Arthur Laundy

THE heir to one of Australia's richest pub empires who is set to run for the Liberals in a federal seat in western Sydney, is from a family with a long Labor history.

Craig Laundy is general manager of his father Arthur's $500 million hotel empire, which benefited greatly from the 16 years of state Labor government.

Mr Laundy's decision to run for the Liberals is seen as a snub to Labor as Bob Carr's decision to allow pokies in pubs was a massive windfall.

Arthur Laundy's 47 NSW hotels have more than 900 pokies and make more than $30 million in profits each year.

The hotels are run out of Bass Hill, in the Federal seat of Blaxland, a safe Labor seat.

Craig resigned from the board of another hotel company, National Leisure and Gaming in October, the day before it went bust.

He is the eldest of four children and lives in a $4.5 million house in Strathfield with wife Suzie.

In November last year Craig Laundy said the hotel industry was "in the toilet''.

The industry has not recovered since then, with two hotels up for auction yesterday passed in with only vendor bids.

The Locomotive Hotel in Tamworth was passed in at $1.8 million, while the Tattersalls Hotel at Narrabri was passed in at $3.3 million.

Craig's decision to enter politics is regarded as the strongest signal that his 70-year-old father will sell his hotels to grocery giant Woolworths.