Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

It is a privilege to second this motion. I listened intently to question time yesterday expecting the opposition to ask a question of the government around the very serious allegations aired on Sunday evening on 60 Minutes in relation to operations at Crown casinos and resorts. Not one single question was asked by the opposition. Nothing. Despite allegations of government officials connected in cosy relationships with Crown staff, including allegations of fast-tracking and assistance with hundreds of visa applications and allegations of money laundering, not one single question was asked by the opposition.

For those not familiar with the allegations aired, whistleblower Jenny Jiang was one of 19 Crown employees arrested by the Chinese government because the promotion of gambling is banned in China. Those employees were arrested, imprisoned and felt abandoned by Crown. It is hard to know which is the most concerning of the allegations aired. Is it the allegation of money being washed through Crown Casino? Is it the allegation of Crown's connections to Macau junkets and known triad syndicates? Is it the allegation of connections to known drug-trafficking syndicates? Is it the allegation of Crown's contractual relationship with Simon Pan brothels in bringing high-roller customers to gamble at the casino since 2011—brothels, according to the County Court of Victoria, that has been raided more than once by the AFP, with reports that at least two women have been rescued from sex trafficking there. Is it the allegations against Crown of providing enticements, such as designer items and jet flights to Australia, to gamble or allegations of providing high rollers with lucky money—free money—to gamble with?

Or should it be the serious allegation that former head of the Border Force Roman Quaedvlieg was contacted by a number of members of parliament, including ministers, seeking to fast-track Crown junket arrangements? Should that be the one of most concern? Further, it's alleged that serving Australian Border Force officer Andrew Ure moonlighted to provide security for an international criminal fugitive, Tom Zhou, for bringing Chinese high rollers into Australia. Or is it the serious allegation of Australian consular officers assisting in the facilitation of hundreds of visas, with leaked Crown documents allegedly stating, 'Where we may have hundreds of millions of dollars of turnover at stake, in those situations the consulate is very understanding and will do everything they can'? Not one question from the opposition. Nothing. Absolute silence.

We should all be asking, after the airing of such serious allegations, whether Australia's largest gambling empire should have a licence to operate casinos in this country. Are they fit and proper? One would question, with the allegations that have been raised. Are there connections to Crown casinos involving drug trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering or organised crime? We should be asking what role Australian consulates have played in facilitating visas. Should those visas have been issued? Did the issuing of those visas cause harm or potential danger to Australians?

Were the high rollers, who were allegedly issued with fast-tracked visas, people of bad character?

I ask every member in this parliament: where are your collective national security concerns now? Goodness knows we seem to wave through every piece of national security legislation in this place. Do we care? We must care. We must take action. The hypocrisy of our border security regime is unbelievable. On the one hand, we have a government that wants to stop a handful of desperately ill men and women who have been found to be refugees from temporarily transferring to Australia for medical treatment and, on the other, we have a government willing to roll out the welcome mat to those with deep pockets and, potentially, deep connections to the triad!

We have a time line of allegations that spans both Labor's and the current government's time in government. Australians know that both the major parties benefit from donations from the gambling industry and that they have no reservations in accepting money from those who would seek to profit from an industry whose sole aim is to ensure people remain in the clutches of addiction no matter what the social and economic cost may be. Neither party has come to this issue with clean hands, but they have a chance to redeem themselves today with this motion. How can any member in this place not want a joint select committee inquiry into the serious allegations that have been raised? How can any member in this place not support this motion? If the House does not support this motion then the only conclusion that the public could draw is that the major parties are indeed beholden to the gambling industry.

Every day in this place—every single day—we are given yet another reason why we need a federal integrity commission right now. We need one that is well funded and that is not kicked further down the road. We need it now. I commend this motion from the member for Clark. Isn't it unbelievable that it's the crossbench that has to bring this to the parliament? I commend this motion to the House. I urge every member in this place to read the motion, vote with their own conscience and not be blindly held by their party's addiction to the gambling industry.

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