Australian casino operator Crown Resorts Limited has reportedly announced that it is to immediately cease making political contributions as it prepares to undergo license suitability investigations in the states of Western Australia and Victoria.
According to a report from The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, the Melbourne-headquartered firm used a brief statement to proclaim that it had decided to ‘cease making monetary or in-kind political donations’ of any type after recently pouring approximately $142,920 into a range of campaigns spanning the political spectrum.
Bountiful benefactor:
The newspaper reported that Crown Resorts Limited has been one of Australia’s most generous political donors over recent years with its about-face coming just three days after the voters of Western Australia returned the government of Premier Mark McGowan to office for a second consecutive four-year term. Information from the Australian Electoral Commission purportedly shows that the casino giant handed over about $28,000 to the incumbent’s latest campaign while simultaneously gifting around $36,800 to his Liberal Party opposition.
Rapid response:
A spokesperson for the Liberal Party reportedly told The
In related news and long-time anti-gambling parliamentarian Andrew Wilkie (pictured) reportedly told the Australian Associated Press news service that it was ‘way beyond time’ for Crown Resorts Limited to cease making political donations. The independent campaigner purportedly described the timing of the operator’s latest move as ‘curious’ before declaring that the firm ‘is obviously in a whole lot of trouble’ and is now ‘working to clean up its act’.
Wilkie reportedly pronounced…
“The gambling giant has paid millions of dollars to the political parties during the last 20 years, mostly to the Liberal Party and Labor Party. Frankly no political party should accept donations from any gambling company and the pressure is now on the parties to follow Crown Resorts Limited’s lead and promise to end their reliance on the industry.”