Dominic Perrottet: Flippant 'Catholic' comment enrages NSW Premier trends now The flippant comment that enraged Dominic Perrottet - and forced clubs boss to issue a grovelling apology: 'Time for him to go' ClubsNSW boss invoked NSW Premier's Catholicism Perrottet says it was 'incredibly inappropriate, offensive' CEO Josh Landis issues grovelling apology By Luke Costin For Australian Associated Press Published: 03:32 GMT, 31 January 2023 | Updated: 03:32 GMT, 31 January 2023 Viewcomments A furious Dominic Perrottet slammed the comment about his Catholicism as 'incredibly inappropriate and offensive' A top lobbyist for the clubs industry has issued a grovelling apology after sparking a firestorm with a passing reference to the NSW Premier's Catholic faith. As the government and the state's club industry face off over a mandatory cashless gaming card, ClubsNSW chief executive Josh Landis said Dominic Perrottet had 'acted from his conservative Catholic gut' on the issue. The remark drew a visceral response from the premier. 'It is incredibly inappropriate and offensive to people of faith right across NSW,' Mr Perrottet said on Tuesday. '(The comments) are an attack on every single person of faith in our state. 'We live in a tolerant state, a tolerant country, and there is no place for comments like that in a modern Australia.' Making the same comment about Islamic, Jewish or Hindu faiths would result in a resignation, the premier said earlier on Sydney radio 2GB. Mr Landis had commented on Mr Perrottet's commitment to mandate cashless gaming for poker machines. 'I think it's fair to say that the premier has very little understanding of this issue and has acted from his conservative Catholic gut, rather than based on evidence,' Mr Landis said in the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday. By lunchtime, Mr Landis had withdrawn his comments and privately apologised to the premier. 'I would like to take this opportunity to unreservedly apologise publicly for any offence caused,' he said in a public statement. He said he was responding to a question about the premier being 'so insistent' on introducing a mandatory cashless system and other gaming reforms. The comment wasn't premeditated or an intentional personal attack, he said. Josh Landis, the CEO of Clubs NSW (above, at a club with his wife) issued a grovelling apology 'Rather it was a poor attempt to explain that there is a lack of evidence for the policy and the premier is a moral person who intrinsically wants to help those who are causing themselves harm.' Before the apology, kingmaker independent MP Alex Greenwich, who has been critical of ClubsNSW, said Mr Landis's position as chief executive was 'beyond untenable and it was time for him to go'. Multicultural Minister Mark Coure dubbed the comment 'a childish attempt to direct attention away from a major social issue in NSW'. Problem gambling has become a hot-button issue ahead of the March 25 state election, with political parties under pressure to introduce cashless gaming after a NSW Crime Commission report found billions of dollars in dirty money was being laundered through machines every year. ClubsNSW released a code of conduct on Monday offering a swathe of reforms to the industry, including a ban on suspected criminals, in a bid to avert the introduction of mandatory cashless gaming cards. But Mr Perrottet remains committed to the cards' introduction - saying details of the government's proposal will be released 'soon'. Labor says it will cut the number of poker machines and introduce a cashless gaming trial on 500 of the state's 90,000 machines. Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility