Crown inquiry seeks local views

By David Schout

The Victorian Royal Commission into Crown’s Southbank casino has called for public submissions to assist in its investigation.

In particular, the commission has sought information regarding both problem gambling and criminal activity at the casino.

Former Federal Court judge Raymond Finkelstein QC invited “community members and organisations” to inform the commission’s work.

“The work of the Royal Commission is important to the fabric of our society and I am keen to hear directly from people with experience relevant to the work we are undertaking,” Mr Finkelstein said in a statement on March 29.

“I urge interested members of the public to express their views and share their experiences on matters that will help the commission, by making a submission.”

Submissions will need to be made quickly, however.

The commission opened the process on March 29 but will receive submissions for less than a month, closing at 4pm on Monday, April 26.

On February 22, the state government announced a Royal Commission into Crown’s suitability to hold its Victorian casino licence.

The royal commission was triggered by the “serious findings” of a NSW inquiry — released a fortnight prior — that found Crown was unfit to operate a new $2.2 billion casino in Sydney Harbour.

After an 18-month probe, former Supreme Court judge Patricia Bergin said in her final report that a management overhaul was required if Crown wanted to hold a casino licence.

Commissioner Bergin also said that key shareholder James Packer may need to sell down his stake in the company.

The NSW inquiry itself was triggered by 2019 reports in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes that revealed alleged money laundering at Crown, and the casino’s links with organised crime.

Crown shareholder activist Stephen Mayne told Southbank News late last year that it was “embarrassing for Victoria that it’s taken a NSW inquiry to reveal all sorts of dubious practices at the Melbourne casino”.

Mr Mayne said the state’s gambling regulator, the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation, was a “paper tiger”.

According to its website, Crown Melbourne is Victoria’s largest single-site private sector employer, with over 12,500 people working across the resort.

Mr Finkelstein has until August 1 to report back to the state government with recommendations •