One of the most powerful lobby groups in the country insists it is not trying to “gag” a whistleblower despite demanding he stop talking to the media and hand over his correspondence with journalists.
ClubsNSW has sought an injunction to stop Troy Stolz, a former anti-money laundering compliance auditor, from speaking to the media while it sues him for blowing the whistle on alleged money laundering operations that used the state’s poker machines.
In a Federal Court hearing on Monday the gambling group said recent comments made by Stolz to the media, including Crikey, were an attempt to “improperly interfere” with the case.
“The obvious purpose behind these communications to the press are to assert pressure and influence on [ClubsNSW],” said Christopher Withers SC, counsel representing the body.
Withers said Stolz had waged an “inflammatory and misleading public campaign” outside the courtroom. This included making “deliberately misleading” claims on his GoFundMe page about the case, and “deeply problematic communication” with reporters. Withers rejected the idea that the order was trying to “suppress” or silence Stolz from talking about money laundering.
“What Mr Stolz is doing … is an attempt to improperly interfere with my client’s prosecution of this case,” he said.
Stolz’ lawyers were forced to apologise on Friday for a retweet by Stolz that was disparaging towards the court. But Geoffrey Watson QC, representing Stolz, said that while his client had made some errors of fact about the case on the GoFundMe page he is using to help fund for his legal defence, the gag order went far beyond the matters raised in the legal dispute, and would prevent him from talking to any “third party”.
“It would mean Mr Stolz could not tell his lawyers things and his lawyers couldn’t repeat it,” he said. ClubsNSW denied this was the intention.
Watson insisted that there was public interest in Stolz sharing his story with the media. “This involves a larger issue — the role of poker machines in Australia,” he said.
“It may well be that Mr Stolz loses his case, but that’s his perception about what this case is about, and it has a public interest.”
A judgment has been reserved.
I consider the gambling industry to be one of the most insidious, destructive an corrupting influences in the world. I am not going to mince my words. This industry should be destroyed. Casinos should be shut down and poker machines should be banned. We would probably be better off without those lotto tickets that I sometimes buy.
I am very thankful that we have someone like Andrew Wilkie, the Member for Clark in Tasmania in our Federal Parliament. He is a voice in the wilderness when it comes to trying to rein in this nefarious and despicable industry.
Gambling is a tax on the stupid.
I wish that it were feasible to ban gambling, including lotto but if there is one ineluctable lesson history should teach us it is that anything that is prohibitted -nfrom sex to, other, euphoriants – will be supplied, often by even less benevolent persons than the censorious in government.
Unfortunately if there is one thing we learn from history it is that we do not learn from history.
Mostly.
Gambling is also the conduit to clean money from the repeated raping of children trafficked etc
Quite correct, Alan. Well said!
I know what you are saying Selkie. I recall reading an article some years ago written by crime reporter John Silvester in the (then) Fairfax Media commenting on the situation some 60 or more years ago regarding SP bookmakers and other illegal ‘private entrepreneurs’ and corrupt police. However I firmly believe that the damage that those characters did pales into insignificance compared to the damage that the parasites who run the legal industry do now.
Also Selkie, when you call ‘gambling’ a tax on the stupid, we need to recall that many of those who you see sitting on stools feeding poker machines and many of those who go to casinos thinking, or even expecting to ‘win’ are, I think, more deserving of pity than condemnation. I know that taking personal responsibility for one’s behavior is an aspect of this but it is not the only one. A person’s mental state is also a consideration too, I feel.
I spent a number of my infant years growing up in an Australia which had neither poker machines, casino’s or even TAB’s. My history lesson tells me that that was a better place.
Simple resolution ban poker machines.We managed to survive prior to their introduction.
Gambling and religion are the same, they survive on peoples misery.
Could not agree more, Tony!
To Gillard’s eternal shame, when Wilkie presented his proposal for $1 limits of poker machines – all the ”fun’ of gambling and watching the wheels go around without it being the family’s food & rent for a week, she bowed to pressure from the Right machine.
The proposal for a gambling card was designed to fail – the “It’s unAustralian!” ads had bought media time before the fatuous idea was even announced.
Keep this story rolling.