Australian Greens leader Bob Brown says the appointment of a former Labor strategist to a job lobbying for the gambling industry is "worrying".
Former ALP national secretary Karl Bitar has taken up a role with Melbourne's Crown Casino.
The appointment comes as the Gillard Labor government works on a new policy to limit the amount of money players can put through poker machines, to prevent problem gambling.
Senator Brown said it was an example of the "spectre of undue influence" raising its head.
"The appointment by Crown Casino is very worrying, it's very troubling, because he's been a major mover and shaker in politics in Australia," he told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.
"You can't tell me or anybody else that that's not going to open doors for Crown Casino that other people don't have open to them and can't go through."
Senator Brown said there should at least be a cooling off period for such appointments.
"It is wrong and we should certainly see much stronger regulations and rules about ex-politicians and senior political insiders being able to move to use the knowledge they've had from being on the political inside not only to their own advantage but to the advantage of sectional interests."
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