Glowing praise for ‘cleanskin’ Helen Coonan to drive fresh Crown start

Former federal minister Helen Coonan has emerged as the potential saviour of the Crown casino group.

Helen Coonan. Picture: Aaron Francis

Former Sydney barrister and federal minister Helen Coonan has emerged as the potential saviour of the Crown casino group; the cleanskin with the capacity to pave the way for it to “achieve a fresh start and emerge a very much stronger and better organisation”.

In a damning 800-page report on the Crown organisation, highly critical of its lack of compliance and vulnerability to money laundering in its casinos, former NSW Supreme Court judge Patricia Bergin has singled out Coonan as the person to deliver the reforms needed to render the company suitable to hold a casino licence in NSW.

Coonan became chairman of Crown a year ago following the departure of long-time Packer associate John Alexander, ahead of the start of the inquiry.

Despite the fact she has been a member of the Crown board for nine years, the report says Coonan, “has demonstrated the qualities necessary to have taken her into the leadership role of Crown”.

While it is scathing of other Crown executives, particularly chief executive and former chief financial officer Ken Barton, it notes Coonan is “exquisitely aware of the depths of the problem of the company of which she is now chairman”.

“The review of the chairman’s evidence demonstrates her character, honesty and integrity (have) not been and could not be called into question,” it says.

It says the NSW Liquor and Gaming Authority “would be justified in accepting any commitment or undertaking given personally and/or on behalf of Crown that may be proffered by the chairman in respect of the future operations of Crown and/or the licensee”.

Coonan has privately told close associates she is determined to lead the ASX-listed company with casinos in Perth and Melbourne through its current crisis and do whatever is necessary to satisfy regulators in NSW and other states that Crown is a suitable operator.

In evidence to the inquiry last year, Coonan outlined her plans for reform of the operation of Crown including board changes, new appointments to oversee compliance on anti-money laundering regulations and stricter reporting controls.

While the report makes it clear Crown still has a some way to go before it can be rendered suitable to open the doors of its gaming floors at Sydney’s Barangaroo, it sees Coonan as someone authorities could work with to make it happen.

Unspoken also is the potential for Coonan to be able to run Crown in her own right without having to take account of the potential power and influence of major shareholder James Packer.

Despite living overseas for many years, the inquiry shows that Packer remained a close watcher and potential influencer of events at Crown from afar until as late as a year ago before the inquiry began.

With Packer on notice to sell down his shares, and the old major shareholder protocol that gave him close knowledge of Crown’s operations now junked, Coonan’s influence within the organisation has risen.

The report goes through the issues examined by the inquiry, clearing Coonan step by step.