Landis told The Sydney Morning Herald that Perrottet’s position on reforming gambling in NSW was a result of his “Catholic gut” rather than based on any evidence.
Independent MPs, including Alex Greenwich, Joe McGirr and Helen Dalton called on Landis to resign, while other senior ministers criticised the comments, after the story was published this morning.
NSW Labor leader Chris Minns said there was no place for “that kind of sectarian and discriminatory language in NSW politics”, according to the The Sydney Morning Herald.
”I wish to unreservedly apologise for my comments published in the The Sydney Morning Herald today,” Landis said in a statement.
“The comments were made during a phone call with a journalist late yesterday afternoon, who asked why I believe the Premier is so insistent on introducing a mandatory cashless system and other gaming reforms.
“I want to make it clear that in answering the question I misspoke and should not have referred to the Premier’s faith.
“This was not a premeditated comment or an intentional attack on the Premier personally, 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.”
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He said he contacted Perrottet earlier to apologise.
“I would like to take this opportunity to unreservedly apologise publicly for any offence caused,” he said.
Perrottet told the Herald Landis’ future was a matter for the Clubs NSW board but his comments were “inappropriate and offensive.”
“Those comments aren’t an attack on me, they are an attack on every single person of faith in our state,” Perrottet said.
“We live in a tolerant state, a tolerant country, and there is no place for comments like that in modern Australia.”
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