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What will it take for the city’s elite creatures to fall out of love with billionaire Justin Hemmes’ Merivale group?
On Monday, this masthead reported the restaurant empire was being investigated by the Fair Work Commission over alleged underpayment and exploitation of Mexican staff. It follows last year’s revelations that female staff working at the exclusive Level 6 of Hemmes’ Ivy entertainment palace were subject to widespread sexual harassment by cashed-up patrons in an environment described by one insider as “one step away from being a brothel”.
But after the latest news, Premier Chris Minns said he wouldn’t rule out visiting a Merivale establishment when asked if he would still feel comfortable eating at Hemmes’ restaurants.
“I think it’s important to allow these independent bodies to conduct their investigations before I issue a blanket denunciation of a company that employs a lot of people in the state,” he said at a morning press conference.
