Mr Brumby, Mr Carr and Mr Robb have previously insisted that the Chinese government has no tangible influence in the organisations they worked for, despite evidence the organisations founders were aligned with the Chinese Communist Party willingly, or because of the way the party-state controls seemingly private companies. It ended with the city being decimated 77 short years ago. Landbridge head Ye Cheng, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and then trade envoy Andrew Robb in Beijing in April 2016. "He has no credibility now, he left Parliament and went to work for Chinese interests," he said. In cases like Sri Lanka, China offered loans to build infrastructure. The $506 million the Northern Territory Government was paid for a 99-year lease of the Darwin Port by Chinese company Landbridge is long gone, but Australians' feelings of unease remain. Former deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage said he was stunned that Australia had blind-sided its ally. 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. In this capacity Robb worked with the next Leader of the Liberal Party, John Hewson, in the unsuccessful 1993 federal election campaign. Former trade minister Andrew Robb becomes a "high-level economic consultant" with the Chinese company that now operates Darwin Port, a $506 million deal that sparked concerns at the highest levels . Many of these grants were disproportionally awarded to marginal seats, with limited oversight and even less accountability. Listen to the news in Warlpiri, Yolngu Matha and Kriol, Jock Zonfrillo, celebrated chef and judge on MasterChef Australia, dies aged 46, MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo remembered for 'wicked sense of humour', Lauren Cranston jailed for eight years over one of Australia's biggest tax frauds, Tony Abbott mounts attack on Voice after a spat with parliamentary committee, 'They will forever know their dad was a hero': 1,000 mourners farewell slain NSW paramedic, Nurse driving home from shift among victims of triple-fatal crash involving allegedly stolen car, There are 11 First Nations MPs and senators. In 1990, after Andrew Peacock's resignation after his election defeat, Robb was appointed federal director of the Liberal Party. As with other Chinese port acquisitions, such as in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Greece and Djibouti, Landbridge is interested in acquiring and developing not only Darwins port facilities but nearby waterfront property. Do Darwin residents really drink more than other Australians? Nine years of serving you has come to an end! Two years after clinching a historic free trade deal with Beijing, former trade minister Andrew Robb has become a "high-level economic consultant" with the Chinese company that now operates Darwin Port. The strategic risk can be managed, Mr James added, but never completely eliminated, and managing it will cost the Government. And I mean, know that you mention it, you can kind of see why we arent that keen on a Federal ICAC, he laughed. It's been built and rebuilt in the near-century since. The Turnbull Government has declined to say when it became aware of the appointment. The details of the consultancy have never been disclosed by Mr Ye or Mr Robb. "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.". All Rights Reserved. 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. But the deal put Darwin directly in the crossfire between US and Chinese interests. Mr Ye is the owner of Landbridge, which controversially acquired the 99-year lease for the Port of Darwin in 2015. Landbridge Australia reported a loss of A$31 million for the 2017 financial year, with its total borrowings rising to A$463 million. What about Andrew Robb? "Rather than being xenophobic about this, we need to be alive to the commercial deals that are being done and what might come later," Dr Garrick said. According to Morrison "Andrew Rodd is a person of the highest integrity. Former trade and investment minister Andrew Robb has taken up an advisory position with the Chinese company behind the controversial 99-year lease of the Darwin port, raising concerns about . This suggests Chinese authorities regard Darwin as having strategic significance. "It involves the use of soft-power networks, influence over politicians on all sorts of levels, from local levels right up to the top.". Just as they have many other of Australias pushbacks against China. Port Darwin - Wikipedia News National Former PM Rudd urges review of lease of Darwin Port to China company. Billionaire Ye Cheng is the owner of Landbridge, which controversially acquired the 99-year lease for the Port of Darwin in 2015. As the federal trade minister, Mr Robb did publicly support the Darwin Port deal, calling it a "powerful sign" of a commercial partnership between China and Australia through a free trade agreement he had helped establish. 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. The company knows how to cultivate political connections. 'A seriously dumb idea': Why did the NT lease Darwin's port to China? Andrew Robb takes role with Chinese company that operates Darwin port Read more Brandis on Wednesday tried to assuage Robb, saying his former colleague needn't be concerned about the crackdown. "It's probably too late to do anything. Good sources are critical to good journalism. Australias number one patriot, the former trade minister that negotiated the China FTA and the leasing of Darwin Port to Chinese interests before going to work for the new owner shortly afterwards, has declared its fine to seize it back: Meh. 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". The Crikey comment section is members-only content. Andrew Robb takes role with Chinese company that operates Darwin port Why don't more Australians know about the bombing of Darwin? Liberal Andrew Robb took $880k China job as soon as he left Parliament Cash Because it's for sale! Can the Darwin Port's 99-year lease to China be reversed? To connect a sign in method the email must match the one on your Crikey account. "We love yuz all!" While the leasing of Port of Darwin to Chinese firm Landbridge by the Northern Territory government in 2015 raised national security fears at the time, . Landbridge head Ye Cheng, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and then trade envoy Andrew Robb in Beijing in April 2016. Mr Robb recently resigned his position with Landbridge, saying they did not have much work for him to do. Or does it just reinforce the fact that politicians take the public for mugs? The operator of Darwin Port is struggling to pay down debt and is reliant on a letter of support from its Chinese owner. Chinas strategy is very long-term. Three months later, Mr Robb was on Landbridge's payroll.Credit: Landbridge. The former trade minister Andrew Robb has been appointed a high-level economic consultant with the Chinese company that operates Darwin port. Following the election of the Abbott government in 2013, Robb was appointed Minister for Trade and Investment. At the time, Mr Robb had already been working for Mr Ye for eight weeks, and had earned $146,000, including GST but minus expenses. 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. Mr Robb, who quit as a minister in Malcolm Turnbull's government before the last election, previously denied working on behalf of Beijing, and defended his contract with Landbridge, saying he was not doing business in Australia, so could not be captured by the new scheme. 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. But its immediate commercial risks are relatively contained. Rang Jeff Kennett and within three days he had me in front one of the best professionals in the state and this guy said you know you've had a problem for fifty years, you've had it for fifty years but he said it was fixable, which was fantastic."[27]. The Port of Darwin lease made sense a few years ago. No longer - Crikey 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. Port in a storm: the Darwin lease made sense only a few years ago. Then trade minister Andrew Robb is congratulated after he concluded the second reading debate on the China - Australia Free Trade Agreement in 2015. controversially acquired the 99-year lease for the Port of Darwin in 2015. This is what you need to know, Canberra grassland earless dragon headed for extinction as ACT government updates list of threatened species, Buses, ferries proposed as Hobart stadium transport fix, Live: MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo remembered for 'wicked sense of humour'. Landbridge has bought the lease, rather than a Chinese bank lending funds to the Northern Territory government to develop the port. And what role, if any, did Andrew Robb play? Andrew Robb did not breach code of conduct by taking $880k - ABC But others may have learnt valuable lessons too. At the time the new owner, billionaire Ye Cheng, claimed the Darwin port deal was our involvement in One Belt, One Road. 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. Andrew Robb says said "Canberra had every right to reassess the port lease in light of changing strategic circumstances. 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Andrew Robb - Wikipedia 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. During that time, she worked on Australia's trade deals with China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore, as well as the Trans Pacific Partnership and future free trade agreements with Europe and Indonesia. Write an article and join a growing community of more than 163,400 academics and researchers from 4,609 institutions. 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. "Once the idiotic deal was done, we as a country are effectively over a barrel. When those loans come payable and the countries can't cover the debt, China assumes control of those infrastructure assets. "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. 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. Please login to engage in the commentary. In 2004, he was comfortably elected to the safe Liberal seat of Goldstein in Melbourne and was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs on 27 January 2006. 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. Infrastucture Australia advised privatisation. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. "Oh, that was like 7 years ago," said Dutton about Former Trade Minister Andrew Robb's advocacy to give Chinese company Landbridge a 99-year lease to the Port of Darwin. 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". That is obvious. Followed categories will be added to My News. How did the port sale propel the sleepy territory into a geopolitical brawl? We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. Landbridge Australia, a subsidiary of Shandong Landbridge, won the 99-year lease with its bid of A$506 million in November 2015. Opportunities exist across website, brand awareness, podcasts, social media content, and video campaigns. Oh, that was like 7 years ago, said Dutton about Former Trade Minister Andrew Robbs advocacy to give Chinese company Landbridge a 99-year lease to the Port of Darwin. 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 group had been granted a 99-year lease on Port Darwin in 2015 during Robbs time as trade minister. Before entering parliament, he was the federal director of the Liberal Party and oversaw the party's return to government at the 1996 federal election. The full text of this article is available to MacroBusiness subscribers, Cancel at any time through our billing provider, Stripe. 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. 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 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. Absolute confidentiality is assured. Mr Ye plans to build a second trade park in Darwin. Three months later, Mr Robb was on Landbridge's payroll. Many Curious Darwin readers asked how Mr Robb was involved in the port deal. Mr Ye publicly announced on September 2 last year that Mr Robb had been appointed as a "high-level economic consultant". [26] Robb disclosed that, since adolescence, he had suffered depression for several hours each day in the morning. You can submit your questions on any topic at all, or vote on our next investigation. Liberal Andrew Robb takes $880k China job as soon as he finishes in Kishor is a federal politics reporter for Crikey, based in the Canberra press gallery. There are indications of some recognition of this at the federal level. Robb only left his position at Landbridge in 2019, shortly before a new foreign-interference law took effect. [5], Robb resigned in 1997 (he was replaced by Lynton Crosby) and became a business consultant based in Sydney. The Northern Territory government has signed a $506m agreement with a Chinese based group for a 99-year lease of the Darwin port, . By all accounts, he wasn't involved with Landbridge in late 2015 when the deal went through, and the federal cabinet was not aware of the deal until hours before then-chief minister Adam Giles announced it publicly in November 2015. Chinese company secures 99-year lease of Darwin port in $506m deal "It's a position from which they can exercise further soft power and ingratiate themselves and show how they're contributing to the local community; many people will be celebrating that from the local council right up the line," Dr Garrick said. And they have picked this bloke, the Leader of the Opposition, as their candidate.. "He's now saying that any criticisms of improper Chinese behaviour attempting to influence our political system is our fault. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Foreign investment: Joyce says Robb has questions to answer on David is the founding publisher and editor of MacroBusiness and was the founding publisher and global economy editor of The Diplomat, the Asia Pacifics leading geo-politics and economics portal. The company has previously denied its operations are influenced by the Communist Party and stated that Mr Robb was not engaged in political representation on its behalf in Australia. 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.Credit: Kym Smith, Mr Robb did not answer specific questions about his dealings with Landbridge, but 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.". Clumsiness and indecision do not serve Australian interests well. Now not so much. But attention has been drawn to Darwins newly minted friendship deal with Yuexiu District, in Guangzhou, due to Chinese media describing it as part of President Xi Jinpings signature Belt and Road Initiative. and back in 2016, when former trade minister Andrew Robb was enjoying his $880,000 a year consulting contract with Landbridge, . 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. Robb was also a board member of community organisations including the Garvan Medical Research Foundation and the 'Big Brothers Big Sisters' organisation. The port's acquisition sparked a major controversy after then US president Barack Obama complained he hadn't been forewarned. Late last year, the ForeignInfluence Transparency Scheme became active with the launch of a public register for people who seek to influence the Australian political process on behalf of foreign interests. Andrew Robb did not tell prime minister about role with Chinese company 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. While the federal government now seeks to shore up its interests in the Pacific with cash for infrastructure, similar commitments to investing in local infrastructure are essential. Australia Defence Association executive director Neil James agreed. "Working for Landbridge Group was a wonderful and pleasing thing, and that he wanted to jointly write a wonderful new chapter together with Landbridge," the statement added. Port Darwin: reverse Andrew Robb's greedy blunder - MORNING MAIL
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