Attorney-General Christian Porter orders investigation into Crown casino allegations
The Morrison Government has ordered an investigation into explosive allegations about Crown casino, as independent MP Andrew Wilkie said the claims were just the “tip of the iceberg”.
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The Morrison Government has ordered the integrity watchdog to investigate explosive allegations about Crown casino.
Attorney-General Christian Porter referred allegations about Crown and possible corruption in government agencies to the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity today.
It follows a string of reports by Nine Newspapers about allegations of money laundering between China and Australia at Crown’s Melbourne casino, which the Casino has strongly rejected.
“It’s my view that there are sufficient concerns raised at least to warrant further investigation,” Mr Porter told Parliament today.
The Coalition and Labor knocked back independent MP Andrew Wilkie’s call for a parliamentary inquiry into the claims.
Mr Wilkie said the allegations about Crown were just the “tip of the iceberg” as he attempted to launch the inquiry in the House of Representatives.
He also used parliamentary privilege to air the explosive claims of a whistleblower who was a driver for Crown about illegal drug use and violence against women that was allegedly allowed on casino premises.
Mr Porter said he had referred the Crown allegations to ACLEI this morning as “the most appropriate body to consider the allegations”.
“They have very significant investigatory powers, very significantly stronger than those of a parliamentary committee - obviously including the ability to apply for search warrants, issue notices that attract a criminal penalty if not complied with,” he said.
“ACLEI also has the ability to hold hearings, exercise coercive powers, and seize evidence. It is highly experienced in these types of investigations.”
It comes as the Australian government insists a past deal it struck with Crown Resorts to fast track short-stay visa applications for clients did not involve any special treatment.
Nine News reported Crown was one of a number of big companies to have an arrangement with the immigration department to fast track applications for short-stay visas through Australia’s consulates and embassies overseas.
While the department says there were such arrangements, it denied this had led to preferential treatment, such as reduced vetting, for applicants including people from China.
“Our offices in China are well aware of the risks that may be present in their case loads and they scrutinise and manage applications accordingly,” a Department of Home Affairs spokesman told Nine.
“These arrangements always make it clear that applicants are subject to the full range of applicable checks.”
The short-stay visas arrangement involving Crown’s clients began in 2003 under the Howard coalition government, continued under the Gillard Labor government in 2011 but ended in 2016, Nine reported.
In a statement on Monday, Crown defended itself against the earlier claims of money laundering, following the reports claiming large sums of money had been put through its Melbourne gaming venue.
“Crown has a comprehensive anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing program which is subject to regulatory supervision by AUSTRAC,” its statement read.
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PM PRESSURED TO AXE CENTRELINK ‘SCAM’
Scott Morrison is being urged to axe the controversial Centrelink robo-debt program after revelations it led to public servants trying to recover a welfare debt from a dead man.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese labelled the system “a scam” this morning as he called on the Prime Minister to scrap the automated debt recovery program.
It comes after ABC’s 7.30 program aired a segment on the robo-debt process last night saying Centrelink compliance officers were being pushed to meet daily debt recovery targets.
The program also uncovered the case of a mother who was contacted by Centrelink over a perceived debt owed by her son, who had died six months earlier.
The mother was in the dark about the veracity of the alleged robo-debt and Centrelink wrongly implied she was personally liable.
“The Government’s ongoing robo-debt scandal means that this system should be scrapped,” Mr Albanese said today.
“You now have circumstances whereby they’re sending debt notices to the families of dead people. This is not on.”
Government Services Minister Stuart Robert apologised to the mother in Question Time today, saying his department should have waived the debt.
“They didn’t, my department was wrong, I apologise for it,” Mr Robert said.
Former Labor leader Bill Shorten, now the party’s spokesman for government services, said legitimate debts should be recouped but robo-debt was a “mess”.
He called on Mr Robert to go back to the drawing board on the “malfunctioning” system.
“The computerised calculation is claiming false debts that when challenged have led to more than 100,000 claims being changed,” Mr Shorten said.
“Yet robo-debt is not just inaccurate. It is being enforced in a harsh and cruel way and we now know it is being driven from above.”
The onus of proof is on people to prove to the department they don’t owe the money.
Mr Robert is standing by the robo-debt policy.
“In the last four or five years the department has recovered $1.9 billion in overpayments and we have a legal responsibility to do that,” he told the ABC.
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