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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-06-09 Daily Xml
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SkyCity Adelaide

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (14:28): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Treasurer, representing the Attorney-General as minister for consumer and business affairs in the other place, a question about the AUSTRAC investigation into SkyCity Adelaide Casino.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: As part of its probe, it has been revealed that AUSTRAC's main concerns centre around 'management of customers identified as high risk and politically exposed persons'. This is a significant term used by financial regulators. AUSTRAC's definition of a 'politically exposed person' or PEP is:

A PEP is an individual who holds a prominent public position or role in a government body or international organisation, either in Australia or overseas. Immediate family members and/or close associates of these individuals are also considered PEPs.

PEPs often have power over government spending and budgets, procurement processes, development approvals and grants. Examples of PEPs include government ministers or equivalent politicians, senior government executives, high ranking judges, high-ranking military officers, or board members or executives of an international organisation. This is not a complete list of PEPs.

Because PEPs hold positions of power and influence they can be a target for corruption and bribery attempts, and ultimately for money laundering or terrorism financing activities. This is why it’s important to use AML/CTF measures to identify and manage any such potential risks.

My questions to the Treasurer are:

1. Since the AUSTRAC revelation, has the government sought information or clarification from AUSTRAC on who the Casino's politically exposed persons might be? If not, why not, given the serious nature of the allegations?

2. Do you or any other government minister know who those politically exposed persons might be?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:31): I am pretty sure the answer to the second question is, for obvious reasons, no. In relation to the first questions, my understanding is that there is no further information that I can place on the public record or indeed the Attorney-General can place on the public record at this stage that would add any more information other than what's publicly available or I have conveyed yesterday to the chamber. If that's not correct, then I will bring back a further reply, but I suspect the answer is there is no further information that I can usefully provide to answer the honourable member's question.

I repeat again, AUSTRAC is an independent regulatory authority. It is conducting inquiries still. The very broad definition that the honourable member has outlined to the house includes not only state and national but also international organisations and people who might be associated with members of international organisations, so it clearly covers a very broad number of potential people within that particular definition.

As I said, I am sure the answer to the second question is no. My view is that there's nothing more that I can usefully provide to the house, but I will ask the Attorney-General. If she has a different view, that there is something further she could usefully provide to the house, I will bring back that response, but I suspect the answer will probably be no.

It is an independent agency; it would allow them to do what they have to do. I am sure they are highly unlikely as an independent regulatory authority to be saying, 'Hey, we're looking at this person, that person. Nothing's been proved yet, but you can tell Hon. Mr Pangallo the names of all these particular individuals because we are sure he won't share that with anyone other than he and his Facebook friends or Instagram followers or whatever it might happen to be.' That's not generally the way independent regulatory authorities operate but, as I said, I will refer the member's question to the Attorney-General. If I am wrong in my assumptions, I will bring back a further response.

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