Darwin port deal is a nice little earner. The ethics code for departing ministers bans them for a period of 18 months from lobbying or advocating to the government or public service on any matters they previously dealt with as a minister. Now not so much. Read more: "That's what made it worse, a local government in the NT made such a silly decision that risked the freedom and strategic security of Australians over the next hundred years or when China democratises.". He added that former minister Andrew Robb also took on a lucrative consulting job with Landbridge after he . / -12.4708; 130.8483. Landbridge head Ye Cheng, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and then trade envoy Andrew Robb in Beijing in April 2016. No claim Robb breached code: Ryan But theres an election coming up and weve dropped the ball on some many issues because weve played politics instead of just doing our jobs, so we need to pretend that well be speaking Mandarin in 12 months if people dont vote for us.. But the Darwin port deal differs in significant ways to other port acquisitions. Or does it just reinforce the fact that politicians take the public for mugs? Landbridge confirmed Mr Robbs departure. "We can't afford to be afraid of China, in the sense that when we need to speak up about issues that concern us, we have to be able to do that; otherwise if we run scared, we've already half lost.". Were working to restore it. by Elizabeth Minter | Jul 20, 2020 | Deceptive Conduct, Liberal Party, QED. One of Mr Ye's companies later produced lobbying material in Mr Robb's name in which the former trade minister described the Rizhao trade park as a project that "advances the objectives in the historic (CHAFTA) accord [that] I was honoured to play a significant role" while trade minister. Pay so everyone can. And I mean, know that you mention it, you can kind of see why we arent that keen on a Federal ICAC, he laughed. Yes, in breaking through we have got a little bloodied, but our efforts were not in vain, and they must not be in vain. The company statement, translated for the ABC, also quotes board chairman Ye Cheng as saying that in order for Landbridge to achieve its global goals "it will be necessary to draw on experts such as Mr Andrew Robb who have global vision and global influence". In February 2016, Andrew Robb quit his role as Australia's trade minister having just finalised the Australia-China Free Trade Agreement. Write an article and join a growing community of more than 163,400 academics and researchers from 4,609 institutions. "We love yuz all!" Fairfax Media and Four Corners are not suggesting that Mr Robb has breached his obligations as an ex-minister. The was not without its controversy - even before Australia-China relations soured, as Andrew Robb, a former minister for trade, took an $880,000 consultancy position with the Chinese group immediately following his exit from politics in 2016. Follow our live coverage. I remember when liberals sold off the Port of Darwin to China just so minister Andrew Robb, who authorised the sell off, could get a post politics grift. In the months before the last election, the Government spent hundreds of millions of dollars of Australian taxpayers money on grants for sports, community safety, rural development programs and more. Mr Ye is the owner of Landbridge, which controversially acquired the 99-year lease for the Port of Darwin in . He's got a global strategy for his company and he wants me to help him outside of Australia more than he wants me to help him inside Australia.". Here's what they think of a Voice to Parliament, Soccer spectator accused of punching out teeth of referee in 'outrageous attack' refused bail, How Australia was left with only one deployable submarine, The Landbridge Group was awarded a 99-year lease, ADF official raises red flag over Darwin port deal, Police investigating gangland shooting allegedly uncover separate murder plot, Pioneering Australian musician and The Dingoes frontman Broderick Smith dies aged 75, 'I don't buy that one bit': Next AFL CEO denies claims of a boys' club after promotion from general counsel, How Heather Mitchell survived a 'testosterone, cocaine and alcohol-fuelled' workplace, Hundreds of 'completely underfunded' Coalition-era infrastructure projects on the chopping block, The public will be asked to pledge allegiance to King Charles III. he said. Ultimately, he said the move was all about soft power and influence. The reason Darwin port was leased to the Chinese is because federal government at the time (LNP) refused to fund the ageing Darwin Port. "It is the responsibility of all former ministers to adhere to the Statement of Ministerial Standards and not take personal advantage of information to which they have had access as a minister where that information is not generally available to the public," Senator Ryan said in a statement. [7] Robb also focused on dealing with settlement issues for refugees and the challenges of multi-faith relations in Australia. Crikey is an independent Australian source for news, investigations, analysis and opinion focusing on politics, media, economics, health, international affairs, the climate, business, society and culture. "It involves the use of soft-power networks, influence over politicians on all sorts of levels, from local levels right up to the top.". Keep up with the latest ASX and business news, MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo dies at age of 46. Billionaire Ye Cheng is the owner of Landbridge, which controversially acquired the 99-year lease for the Port of Darwin in 2015. As soon as he left politics, Robb was hired by Shandong Landbridge on a $880,000 per year salary. Democracy under siege from the rising forces of plutocracy. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. There are endless opportunities in Northern Australia; the trick is to have government truly engaged as a partner in attracting the critical investment dollars. But the Darwin port deal differs in significant ways to other . "Once the idiotic deal was done, we as a country are effectively over a barrel. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. And all of it is being done under the guise of economic development at a time of economic turbulence for those countries, Dr Garrick said, which sounds familiar to Darwin, where the NT Government is currently going through a fiscal crisis and severe economic downturn. When questioned about his involvement with Landbridge, Mr Robb said in a statement: I can confirm that I fully understand my responsibilities as a former member of cabinet, and I can also confirm that I have, at all times, acted in accordance with those responsibilities.. But company records reveal that Andrew Robb Pty Ltd . In a sign of panicked desperation, the federal government is today continuing with the whole nobody but us can keep us safe national security agenda. Landbridge Australia, a subsidiary of Shandong Landbridge, won the 99-year lease with its bid of A$506 million in November 2015. He is the co-author of The Great Crash of 2008 with Ross Garnaut and was the editor of the second Garnaut Climate Change Review. Crikey acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the many nations across Australia, and pay our respect to Elders past and present. Andrew Robb says said "Canberra had every right to reassess the port lease in light of changing strategic circumstances. Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng, former prime minister Tony Abbott and then trade minister Andrew Robb at the signing of the China-Australia free trade agreement in June 2015. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen. At these challenging times, we need to work hard to reverse the souring of our political relationship. The bid for the port was examined and approved by the Foreign Investments Review Board, the Defence Department and ASIO. Robb approved Chinese company Shandong Landbridge Group to lease Port Darwin for 99 years. The new register is designed to ensure that, if a person is advocating on behalf of a foreign power, it is declared. "The proposal has been fully recognised and highly affirmed by the Shandong Province Party Committee, the Provincial Government and the Department of Commerce," the Chinese government statement said. Mr James said Mr Robb's comments seemed to be made to advance the position of the Chinese business interests he served. According to Morrison "Andrew Rodd is a person of the highest integrity. From left, now Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, Landbridge chief Ye Cheng and then trade minister Andrew Robb at a northern development conference in 2015. Credit: Glenn Campbell. Former trade minister Andrew Robb AO has told delegates at Red Meat that Asia and, in particular China, is where Australia must focus for future red meat export opportunities. The Landbridge statement from September 2 said "the process of internationalisation of the Landbridge Group and the results achieved had greatly impressed him (Mr Robb)". Mr Ye placed Mr Robb on his payroll 10 weeks later. Former LNP Trade Minister Andrew Robb profited enormously from the port deal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter, MHR has warned the federal Government to tear up the Port of Darwin lease with its Chinese owners, arguing that a "review" will achieve nothing but waste time. Until his recent retirement from politics, Andrew Robb was Australia's Minister for Trade, Investment and Tourism. I thought everyone had forgotten about that.. "We had our deputy prime minister last year stand up in front of a Channel 9 TV camera and say, 'I want all Australians to know that ISIS is not our security threat, China is our security threat'; this is irresponsible," Mr Robb said. In March, Mr Robb and Mr Ye travelled together to Sydney from China, where both attended a business and trade forum hosted by the Australian government, as part of Premier Li Keqiang's visit. If the deal falls over, the government will need to seek new equity partners. Read more: It would leave our ability to operate in doubt. There are indications of some recognition of this at the federal level. Mr Robb recently resigned his position with Landbridge, saying they did not have much work for him to do. When those loans come payable and the countries can't cover the debt, China assumes control of those infrastructure assets. Everybody in the NT remembers the last time Darwin was caught in the middle of a conflict between the Americans and a rising Asian empire. He is also a member of the national Chinese People's Consultative Committee, an advisory body that President Xi Jinping has directed to "uphold the CPC [Chinese Communist Party] leadership without wavering". The delegation was lobbied by Rizhao Communist Party deputy secretary Liu Xingtai to support the trade park as part of a "Two Countries, Two Parks" proposal. Every contribution, however big or small, keeps the lights on for this cowboy operation. #auspol. The most drastic would involve the government forcing Landbridge, owned by . In cases like Sri Lanka, China offered loans to build infrastructure. Ms McKenzie was chief of staff to Andrew Robb when he was the Liberal government's trade, investment and tourism minister. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 2004 to 2016, representing the Liberal Party. The deal to lease parts of the port followed successive federal governments refusing to fund necessary upgrading of the ports infrastructure to meet growing demand. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Mr Ye frames much of his business activity, including the acquisition of the Port of Darwin lease, in terms of advancing Beijing's ambitious global trade and infrastructure policy "One Belt, One Road". Chinese President Xi Jinping and then prime minister Tony Abbott witness the signing of the declaration of intent on the Australia/China Free Trade Agreement at Parliament House in Canberra. Mr Robb, the architect of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, began consulting to Ye Cheng the day before the July 2 federal election in 2016, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Andrew John Robb AO (born 20 August 1951) is an Australian former politician. And what role, if any, did Andrew Robb play? Mr Robb said he was not doing business in Australia so could not be captured by the new scheme. The combined filings show Landbridge borrowed at least $870 million in the months leading up to its Darwin Port acquisition from the high yield market and local bond market. Infrastucture Australia advised privatisation. Australia-China political relations had turned to custard and business ties could follow. Dr Garrick said the luxury hotel project was a further extension of the interests of the group, "an entrenchment of their strategic positions", given its location on the waterfront, right next to Parliament House and Government House. However, ASIO boss Mike Burgess and former ASIO boss Dennis Richardson have both come out to say that there is no foreign interference within the Australian Labor Party, and sensationalist comments from the likes of Dutton and Morrison do more damage than actual foreign interference in our democracy.
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