Anti-gambling campaigners have rounded on the appointment of former ALP national secretary Karl Bitar to head up government relations for the Crown Casino group.
Bitar, one of the so-called 'faceless men' of the Labor party, left his ALP role last month. The new appointment comes as the Gillard government considers the findings of the Productivity Commission's 2009 report into gambling.
The report proposed new 'pre-commitment' laws on setting gambling limits on poker machines, of which Crown has 2,500 at its Melbourne casino alone.
'Crown are entitled to hire whoever they want', Paul Bendat of PokieAct told SBS.
'But Mr Bitar has a lot of work to do to restore Crown's image, let alone the modest consumer protection reforms recommended by the Productivity Commission', he said in relation to reports in late 2009 which included claims that hundreds of ambulances were called out to the casino in a two-year period, citing Freedom of Information documents.
Crown said Bitar will also be responsible for infrastructure devlopment, tourism and responsible gambling in an announcement to the ASX. CEO Rowen Craigie said everyone at Crown was looking forward to working with Mr Bitar.
INDEPENDENT CRITICS
But Independent MP Andrew Wilkie has said that if the government does not implement some of the measures, it can expect to lose his support.
When contacted, Wilkie's office said the MP was refusing to comment on the matter.
But anti-pokies campaigner, Independent Senator Nick Xenophon was not so cautious in attacking Crown's lobbying efforts.
'This guy has inside information about the Government that Crown Casino effectively just bought. He has gone from running the party to lobbying the party,' he told the ABC.
Xenophon said Bitar knows a lot of useful information which he'll put to good use at James Packer's casino group.
'It's just extraordinary that he would think it's appropriate that he can take up this role to actually go head to head with all that inside information with the Government over poker machine reform,' he said
Political lobbying reform should be considered in Australia, Mr Xenophon added.
The appointment comes in the middle of Gambling Awareness Week in Victoria.
A spokesperson told SBS that the week is 'all about spreading the message that people should take a responsible approach to gambling...the week is supported by industry, which includes Crown.'
But Mr Bendat of PokieAct said the state government-backed initiative was a 'crap PR exercise.'
'Why don't you urge the venues to conduct gambling responsibly, or the manufacturers of the machines so they are not the harmful machines that they are?', he asked.
The Age reports that Crown could lose between $36 million and $145 million following the proposed new 'pre-commitment' laws on setting gambling limits, citing a Merrill Lynch report.
SBS is awaiting comment from Crown.
