"There's not enough evidence for them to do that, other than the sense that this is a dumb move, and why would you do this when the money is already gone and 96 years on the lease to go?" Billionaire Ye Cheng is the owner of Landbridge, which controversially acquired the 99-year lease for the Port of Darwin in 2015. Landbridge signed . Mr Robb is currently Chairman of The Robb Group (wealth management, corporate and investment advisory company), the AgriFood Data Exchange, CDMA and CLARA Energy; a Board Member of the Kidman cattle enterprise, Mind Medicine Australia, and strategic advisor to Seafarms Ltd as well as a range of national and international businesses. Hearing senior Treasury staff describe the Northern Territory's budget as being in "dire straits" is the bureaucratic equivalent to saying, "we're stuffed". Or does it just reinforce the fact that politicians take the public for mugs? Please try again later. Infrastucture Australia advised privatisation. "I was in the National Security Committee, and I've gotta say I didn't learn much more than I was reading in the papers for three years," he said. 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. The territory government retains a 20% stake in the port operator and has a say in key appointments such as the chief executive and chief financial officer. Following a front-bench re-shuffle in March 2010, Robb was appointed Shadow Minister for Finance, Deregulation and Debt Reduction, a post previously held by Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce, and chairman of the Coalition Policy Development Committee. Neither has the fact that Mr Robb is being used to spruik a Chinese Communist Party-backed trade park as part of his consultancy agreement. [5], Robb resigned in 1997 (he was replaced by Lynton Crosby) and became a business consultant based in Sydney. 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". Glenn Campbell. But the fear of angering China has weighed heavily on Australian-elected officials, with the greatest fear coming in the form of economic sanctions. The scheme was largely prompted due to concerns about undeclared Chinese government efforts to influence Australian institutions, but applies to any lobbyist or consultant working for a company or think tank controlled by a foreignnation and involved in influencing the political process. Ninety-six years is a long time by any standard. Charles Darwin University provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU. Despite pleas by non-political heads of our spy organisations, the government is today insisting on carrying on like they give a fuck about our national security. The bid for the port was examined and approved by the Foreign Investments Review Board, the Defence Department and ASIO. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 2004 to 2016, representing the Liberal Party. Mr Brumby announced in February he was quitting the Australian board of Huawei, the Chinese telco accused by security agencies of posing a security risk to western communications infrastructure. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); With access to over 4 million readers per month, and often more, we provide opportunities to add value to different brands across the country who are interested. What set off the "latest scandal" was the breaking news former trade minister Andrew Robb would be an "economic consultant" to Landbridge - lessee of the Port. "It's probably too late to do anything. / -12.4708; 130.8483. Mr Ye is the owner of Landbridge, which controversially acquired the 99-year lease for the Port of Darwin in . The Chinese owner of the Port of Darwin is using the port as security to seek a $500 million loan from the Chinese government's trade bank. Darwin is now on the front line in managing tensions between Australias most important strategic ally and partner and its major trading partner. Many Curious Darwin readers asked how Mr Robb was involved in the port deal. Democracy under siege from the rising forces of plutocracy. President Xi subsequently established an integration committee to oversee civilian and military investment in technology. It was a decision that baffled everyone from NT locals to Barack Obama, a strategic asset lease that slipped past the Foreign Investment Review Board and Defence. 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". "There's a pattern it's like a blueprint. [9] He was re-elected at the 2010 election and was appointed Shadow Minister for Finance, Deregulation and Debt Reduction and retained his position as chairman of the Coalition Policy Development Committee. The risks of a new Cold War between the US and China are real: here's why. Claiming that greenhouse gas emissions have gone down when the facts clearly show otherwise; breaking the law on responding to FoI requests; reneging on promised legislation; claiming credit for legislation that doesnt exist; accepting donations that breach rules. Thats open. Andrew Robb quits China-linked firm before foreign interference law kicks in. It is a far cry from the debt-trap colonialism China stands accused of using to gain leverage over other foreign governments, such as Sri Lanka and Nepal. We recognise that their sovereignty has never been ceded. Port in a storm: the Darwin lease made sense only a few years ago. Landbridge Australia, a subsidiary of Shandong Landbridge, won the 99-year lease with its bid of A$506 million in November 2015. The details of the consultancy have never been disclosed by Mr Ye or Mr Robb. Were working to restore it. Crikey acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the many nations across Australia, and pay our respect to Elders past and present. Charles Darwin University academic John Garrick has been researching China's international strategic actions, and said the Commonwealth Government doesn't really have a leg to stand on if they want to take the lease of the port back now. Mr Katter's opposition to the Port of Darwin sale - Former federal trade minister Andrew Robb took an annual $880,000 job with Landbridge after leaving federal parliament. 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. He is the Chairman of Asialink and CNSDose, and a strategic advisor to Beef Innovations Australia, as well as a range of national and international businesses. by Elizabeth Minter | Jul 20, 2020 | Deceptive Conduct, Liberal Party, QED. Mr Robbs 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. There are endless opportunities in Northern Australia; the trick is to have government truly engaged as a partner in attracting the critical investment dollars. Dr Garrick said China wouldn't be able to call in debts and assume control of any infrastructure in Darwin, but it was still a model that seemed to be being applied on Australia's northern shore. Landbridge confirmed Mr Robbs departure. The Crikey comment section is members-only content. Please login to engage in the commentary. "He has no credibility now, he left Parliament and went to work for Chinese interests," he said. Mr Carr recently announced he was stepping down as director of the Australia-China Relations Institute, which was founded by controversial billionaire political donor Huang Xiangmo. Why did the NT lease Darwin Port to China? Robb announced his retirement from politics on 10 February 2016. more. Former trade minister Andrew Robb, who . [22], Robb is part owner of The Boathouse Group, which operates a number of Sydney restaurants and other venues. The Port of Darwin's 99-year lease with Chinese company Landbridge has attracted criticism since 2015. You can submit your questions on any topic at all, or vote on our next investigation. Robb then left politics and took up a lucrative 'consultancy' gig with Landbridge less than 12 months later, making who knows how much from helping actual jeopardise our national security. 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. It will take quite a lot of adjustment in the UK for them to remove a lot of the assistance and protection for many of the agricultural products Its going to require a will on their part that hasnt existed,. Three months later, Mr Robb was on Landbridge's payroll.Credit: Landbridge. The arrangement, uncovered by a Fairfax Media-Four Corners investigation, involves monthly payments of $73,000 (including GST) to Mr Robb starting on July 1, 2016. [4] Many of you have written to us over the past week wanting to know what can be done about it, more than three years after the deal was signed that saw one of Australia's most strategic assets leased away for a one-time payment. The irony is that while at a political level our relationship is facing some difficulties, at a commercial level our relationship has never been better. In 2003, Robb was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for service to politics, agriculture and the community.[6]. In Australia it gave influential Liberal Party figure and former trade minister Andrew Robb an $880,000 job just months after he retired from parliament. In December 2017, then Attorney-General George Brandis suggested that Mr Robb would have to sign up to the new register. From left, now Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, Landbridge chief Ye Cheng and then trade minister Andrew Robb at a northern development conference in 2015. revealed his fee, and that he had joined the company straight after quitting parliament, has been blocked from entering Australia and has had his permanent residency cancelled, continues to advocate for Australia to back the policy. Australia-China political relations had turned to custard and business ties could follow. The Northern Territory government has signed a $506m agreement with a Chinese based group for a 99-year lease of the Darwin port, . Peter Dutton says circumstances were different in 2015. and I said, 'well, I'd love to but I've been a minister in a cabinet, in a related area, I can't do any work for you in Australia and I can't do it for 18 months'," he said. After embarrassing themselves by mangling some weird Relgious Discrimination Bill that even hardcore Christians werent that keen on, the Government is trying to convince the nation that we will be a Chinese-controlled territory if a Labor government is voted in at the next election. Nobody in the emerging liberal trading bloc is going to be upset by it. He added that former minister Andrew Robb also took on a lucrative consulting job with . 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. In relation to the Ministerial Standards, Scott Ryan, the Minister Assisting the Cabinet Secretary, reiterated the rules for former frontbenchers. In cases like Sri Lanka, China offered loans to build infrastructure. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/can-darwin-port-99-year-lease-china-be-reversed-andrew-robb-role/10912478, Get breaking news alerts directly to your phone with our app, Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article. He was an agricultural economist with the Victorian Department of Agriculture and a tutor in economics at La Trobe University before being an economist for the National Farmers' Federation, and later executive director of both the National Farmers' Federation and the Cattle Council of 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.
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