Packer will stay out of Victorian election
Casino billionaire James Packer has promised not to get involved in the Victorian election, denying claims he will support Labor.
The Crown Resorts chairman distanced himself after close friend Lloyd Williams told Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews that Mr Packer would help him.
• Labor continues poll dominance
• Abbott gains ground in polls
“You should probably know I am the executor of the Packer estate, and James is going to kick every goal he can for you,” Network Ten reported Mr Williams saying to Mr Andrews on Monday.
But Mr Packer backed away from Mr Williams’ comments after seeing them while overseas overnight.
“I do not intend to get involved in this or any election,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
Mr Williams founded Crown Casino and was a friend of Mr Packer’s mogul father Kerry.
“Lloyd is a very close friend of mine, but he did not speak to me before making his comments to Daniel Andrews and they don’t represent my views,” Mr Packer said.
A proposed annual levy on Crown’s gaming machines was dumped in August in favour of lump sum payments in 2014 and 2033.
“Any issues I had with the Victorian government in relation to a proposed gaming levy were fully resolved through negotiation and good will,” Mr Packer said.
“Crown will continue to work with whichever government the public elects in the best interests of our Melbourne resort and our thousands of employees.”
Labor backed the coalition government’s proposal to extend Crown’s licence to 2050, after doing a side deal with the casino to retrain 500 retrenched workers.
Mr Andrews said on Monday he knew Mr Packer, but had no reaction to his comments.
“If you want to know what motivated the comments you’d need to speak to the people who made them,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
Premier Denis Napthine said he had no comments on Mr Packer and Mr Andrews’ relationship.
“I’m not fussed about what billionaire casino owners do or say,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“What I’m fussed about is doing the right thing by the people of Victoria.”
The Victorian election will be held on November 29.
-AAP