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.
Mr Katter’s opposition to the Port of Darwin sale – a 99 year lease to Communist Chinese controlled Landbridge Corporation – has been tenacious over the last six years, concerned by the economic and security implications of the sale.
Former Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has joined the crescendo to kick out Landbridge which secured the long-term operational control of the commercial facility in 2015 as part of a $506 million deal with the Northern Territory government.
The lease was signed by former CLP chief minister Adam Giles, but Mr Rudd said key ministers within the federal Coalition government were also responsible for the outcome.
“[It was] all approved, all let through, by Morrison when he was Treasurer [and] Frydenberg was then Minister for Northern Australia,” Mr Rudd said.
He added that former Trade Minister Andrew Robb also took on a lucrative consulting job with Landbridge after he left office.
“For all those political reasons, Dutton, Morrison, Frydenberg know that they are deeply exposed on this issue.
Katter warned Australia’s national security was being severely compromised while the CCP continues to acquire strategic assets across the north of the country, “right on our doorstep”.
He reminded the LNP government that the top half of the Australian continent was already encircled by China, stretching from Cockatoo Island near Derby in Western Australia to Keswick Island near Mackay in Central Queensland.
“Why do we need a review to see if it is good for Australia? Blind Freddie could see it’s not!,” Mr Katter said.
“Darwin is the only port between Cairns and Broome making up half of the entire Australian coastline and the sale should never have happened in the first place.
“You can’t get anything out of the Northern half of Australia except out of a foreign Check Point Charlie (Port of Darwin) which can charge you whatever he feels like charging you.
“Up to 300,000 head of live cattle go through Darwin, and for six years we have been in a situation where a foreign corporation can charge us whatever they feel like charging and decide what goes through the port because they own the port.
“They can close the port to any competing development by Australians and by having control of that port, they control the whole economy of the north western quarter of Australia.
“It is not my aspiration as an Australian, to work in a country owned by foreign landlords where I’ll work as some sort of modern-day serf for whatever amount of money that they feel like paying me”, Mr Katter said.
“I’ve said this before, anyone that would give away their only ‘non-coal loading’ Panamax port in the northern half of the continent to a foreign power has committed treason.
“Don’t waste time with a review. Just tear it up now.”
Mr Katter said that he was confident he had the numbers in the Parliament to suspend standing orders and move for the Port of Darwin lease to be torn up.
“I’ve had a motion drafted and ready for the last few months. I’m confident that I have to numbers to get this up. So who’s going to move first?!”
Landbridge secured the long-term operational control of the commercial facility in 2015 as part of a $506 million deal with the Northern Territory government.
The lease was signed by former Country Liberal Party chief minister Adam Giles, but Mr Rudd said key ministers within the federal Coalition government were also responsible for the outcome.
“[It was] all approved, all let through, by Morrison when he was Treasurer [and] Frydenberg was then Minister for Northern Australia,” Mr Rudd said.
He added that former minister Andrew Robb also took on an $800,000 per annum lucrative consulting job with Landbridge after he left office.
As part of the “confidential” consultancy deal, 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.
It’s estimated that Mr Robb pocketed more than $2 million plus expenses from Landbridge. A company document revealed that Mr Robb’s consulting contract was so vague and ill-defined he would be paid even if he did nothing.
“For all those political reasons, Dutton, Morrison and Frydenberg know that they are deeply exposed on this issue.
“Hence, my prediction is that they will seek to scupper the lease and then there’ll be a huge financial liability on the part of the taxpayer.”
Mr Rudd said he was not privy to current intelligence briefings, but he was aware of concerns raised by the US after the deal was signed.
“My understanding from Washington, for example, is that the US administration at the time was absolutely ropeable by the dim-witted nature of this particular decision back in 2015.”
DFAT has previously said the Darwin Port lease was not within the scope of the Foreign Relations Act.
Mr Robb’s consultancy with the leaseholder of the Darwin Port, Landbridge, was trumpeted by the Chinese-government aligned company in 2016, but became intensely controversial when an investigation by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and Four Corners revealed his fee, and that he had joined the company straight after quitting parliament.
Mr Robb joins former foreign minister Bob Carr and former Victorian premier John Brumby in taking up lucrative roles with companies or, in Mr Carr’s case, a think tank, founded by businessmen with strong ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
Ex-Marine exposes U.S. govt’s secret political interference in Asia
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a point that has become critically painfully obvious is that our current crop of mainstream politicians do not give a shit about any of us.. they have their own agendas and we the citizens of Australia have no say..bloody disgusting and time it changed..vote them out try any alternative ..it could not get any worse if we do
Kiss your arse goodbye Australia.
Noahide Law is coming in the guise of China.
Keep drinking your fluoride water & watch your footy.
We are screwed at the highest level while our government bend over at the Western wall.
Australia is doomed.
China owns too much land now.
And yes all but a few that sit in parliament are traitors & should be hung for treason.
Noahide Law is coming for the western countries.
Australian’s don’t want to know and it will be to our own peril.
Everyone reading this should join a Common Law Assembly in their home state, that way we have a chance at hanging the bastards.
Words are everything, 1828 Webster’s Dictionary knows that.
Every government, judiciary, military, police force and the likes have all been infiltrated at the highest level.
Kiss your arse goodbye because hell is coming.
Go to his Falsebook page and ask him.Ed
Then enforce the true letter of Section 44 of the Constitution by removing ALL those in Government who hold allegiance to a foreign power/loyalty (with reference to one in particular that seemed to escape accountability during the Sec. 44 brouhaha of a few years back).
I’d like to hear Bob say that out loud.
Do some research and discover that the “AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT” is an American company. don’t be surprised at ANYTHING they do, and it will rarely be for the good of The Commonwealth of Australia (not always realized that “The Commonwealth” is The People not the landmass).
Because of a ‘sudden outbreak’ (an ‘infected’ person) a popular Blues Festival in NSW was called off… Because of a ‘sudden outbreak’ (an ‘infected’ person) sports fans werent able to attend a footy match in Perth on the weekend… Is a pattern emerging ?
Instead of angering people with livelihood destroying lockdowns, will ‘sudden ourbreaks’ on the eve of popular events provide an excuse to cancel them so the ‘outbreaks’ wont spread..
.
And will the annoyance & frustration of sports / music fans will be turned against the ‘vax hesitant’
Bob Katter,
You have my full support of tearing up the Darwin Port lease agreement with the Communist Chinese Government.
And making Australia’s security more secure for all Australian’s.
Good work Bob.
All involved should be charged with treason and hung.
Every deal with the CCP that is not in the interest of all Australians should be torn up period, we the the Australian people will survive as always, the sooner we stick up to them the better, ours is a sovereign nation not a Communist one, we are free at the moment until this Government signed up to the New World Reset and Economic Forums with Klaus Swamp and the stupid Global Elites.You Will Own Nothing and Be Happy.REALLY
Can’t agree with you about Katter old mate you are a bit off there. He has been the only spokesman for the underdogs for a generation. editor
I’m 7th generation Australian and I consider Australia is DOOMED !!
The BRI is the future – what will the ZIO/US give Australia ??
WAR – POVERTY an a DEBT o the World Bank and IMF that can NEVER be repaid !!
Hey – why don’t we sell the US mining corporations ( like the Rothschild owned Rio Tinto ) ALL our valuable resources !!
Bob Katter is a complete FUCKING moron – along with the rest of Australia’s brain dead politicians !
When you have a treasurer by the name of ‘FreydenBERG’ – well you have to realise Australia is now a ZOG !
Can the review also look to see if bulging bank accounts were enjoyed by others than Robb
Andrew Robb-er that also signed the TPP for Australia. And what was that recently about how State Governments (ie Victoria in this case) can’t make deals with foreign ones ? . . .