andrew robb darwin port

Landbridge has bought the lease, rather than a Chinese bank lending funds to the Northern Territory government to develop the port. 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. "It's probably too late to do anything. Follow our live coverage. A companydocument revealed that Mr Robbs consulting contract was so vague and ill-defined he would be paid even if he did nothing. Mr Ye is the owner of Landbridge, which controversially acquired the 99-year lease for the Port of Darwin in . [10], Robb is a republican;[11] he is against abortion except where the health and state of the mother are in serious threat.[12]. Mr Ye plans to build a second trade park in Darwin. Theyll copy it if anything. 27 Apr 2023 00:13:32 But the fear of angering China has weighed heavily on Australian-elected officials, with the greatest fear coming in the form of economic sanctions. 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. Zhang Jie, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, wrote in 2015 about the concept of first civilian, later military in which commercial ports are to be built with the goal of slowly being developed into strategic support points to assist China defending maritime channel security and control key waterways. Port in a storm: the Darwin lease made sense only a few years ago. Become a subscriber to get full access to the website, as well as our premium newsletters. Balancing between powerful friends with competing interests may not prove easy. Previously, he was a general reporter in Crikey's Sydney office, where he started in 2018 while completing an arts/law degree at the University of Sydney. "We love yuz all!" The port has operated in a number of locations, including Stokes Hill Wharf, Cullen Bay and East Arm Wharf. But the Darwin port deal differs in significant ways to other . 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. 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. And what role, if any, did Andrew Robb play? Robb is also the co-publisher of The Party Room alongside Senator Mitch Fifield,[citation needed] a journal designed to promote new policy discussion within the Federal Coalition. But its immediate commercial risks are relatively contained. Foreign and strategic policy has effectively been left to the local level. All above board, maybe, but does it really pass the pub test? But the deal put Darwin directly in the crossfire between US and Chinese interests. And just last week, Landbridge (a private company, despite links to the Chinese Government) started official construction on a new $200 million luxury hotel on the Darwin waterfront. Leasing Darwin Port was a political not a legal decision, made in Canberra not Darwin. As soon as he left politics, Robb was hired by Shandong Landbridge on a $880,000 per year salary. Nine years of serving you has come to an end! The federal government is considering scrapping a 99-year lease of Darwins port to a Chinese company, the latest point of tension in an increasingly chilly relationship between Canberra and Beijing. It may have been pushed by . Ultimately, he said the move was all about soft power and influence. Charles Darwin University provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU. 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. The ABC reported it had obtained and translated a . Lobbyists have until March 1 to register, although government sources have acknowledged that enforcing the scheme may be difficult given the lack of legal precedent surrounding its operation and the likelihood that some potential registrants will argue it does not apply to them. Darwin port deal is a nice little earner. Mr Robb has been approached for comment on his new role, but the former minister, who is currently overseas, has not yet responded to the ABC. 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.". In this capacity Robb worked with the next Leader of the Liberal Party, John Hewson, in the unsuccessful 1993 federal election campaign. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop defended Mr Robb's decision, telling the ABC he should be allowed to have a post-Parliament career. The Chinese company that upset the defence establishment by buying the Port of Darwin is looking for oil and gas acquisitions in Northern Australia to boost trade through the commercial port. Clumsiness and indecision do not serve Australian interests well. Robb was on the payroll of Landbridge before he resigned as an MP. But it will not share any profit that Landbridge may eventually make. The former trade minister Andrew Robb did not talk to Malcolm Turnbull before taking on his role as an economic consultant with the Chinese company that operates the Darwin port. 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 December 2017, then Attorney-General George Brandis suggested that Mr Robb would have to sign up to the new register. 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. He added that defences raised by NT Government politicians and public servants about being able to take the port back in the case of rising tensions didn't address the strategic risk now, or the consequences of that later. Three months later, Mr Robb was on Landbridge's payroll. The details of the consultancy have never been disclosed by Mr Ye or Mr Robb. 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. Mr Cheng's company, Landbridge Group, was embroiled in controversy when it was awarded a 99-year lease over the port of Darwin. Opportunities exist across website, brand awareness, podcasts, social media content, and video campaigns. [26] Robb disclosed that, since adolescence, he had suffered depression for several hours each day in the morning. 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. They have been reactive, readily accepting the lure of pearls cast on our shores without considering longer-term currents. "In our situation, there was an upfront payment for 99 years and then the strategy unfolds," he said. Read more: The port's acquisition sparked a major controversy after then US president Barack Obama complained he hadn't been forewarned. Landbridge confirmed Mr Robbs departure. While he was Minister for Trade and Investment, Robb approved Chinese company Shandong Landbridge Group to lease Port Darwin for 99 years. Kishor is a federal politics reporter for Crikey, based in the Canberra press gallery. Former deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage said he was stunned that Australia had blind-sided its ally. The new register is designed to ensure that, if a person is advocating on behalf of a foreign power, it is declared. 2:30pm, Apr 27 . "Landbridge's commitment to the growth of the Port of Darwin will be a huge spur to the development of Australia's north, serving as a catalyst for the entry of major investment right across the port's upstream supply chain in agriculture, resources and energy and economic infrastructure," he told the Guardian in late 2015. Back then it was criticised over national security implications, and drew a rebuke from former US president Barack Obama. Ninety-six years is a long time by any standard. 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. He was educated at Dookie Agricultural College, Parade College and La Trobe University, and has qualifications in economics and agricultural science. [19][20] Landbridge Group is chaired by Ye Cheng, a billionaire with links to the Chinese Communist Party. To connect a sign in method the email must match the one on your Crikey account. Though privately owned, like many Chinese companies it has strong ties to the ruling Chinese Communist Party. By Leith van Onselen. "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.". Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Not much, according to defence experts and academics, but there's a few outstanding issues of interest with the whole saga. Any attempt by Landbridge to use the port as security to borrow money from a Chinese bank would trigger renegotiation of the lease. Darwin is now on the front line in managing tensions between Australias most important strategic ally and partner and its major trading partner. Chinese influence compromises the integrity of our politics. Former federal trade minister Andrew Robb took an annual $880,000 job with Landbridge after leaving federal parliament. The full text of this article is available to MacroBusiness subscribers, Cancel at any time through our billing provider, Stripe. All Rights Reserved. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In December 2017, then Attorney-General George Brandis suggested that Mr Robb would have to sign up to the new register. 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 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". Contact us on: support@crikey.com.au or call the hotline: +61 (03) 8623 9900. Please try again later. Enter your email address and Crikey will send a Verification Code. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation US, Inc. An Australian Border Force Cape-class patrol boat docked at the Darwin port. Robb remained a member of . He described the situation as "reviewable," suggesting he may beginworking for the company again in future. Chinese influence compromises the integrity of our politics, Soft power goes hard: China's economic interest in the Pacific comes with strings attached, The risks of a new Cold War between the US and China are real: here's why. The strategic risk can be managed, Mr James added, but never completely eliminated, and managing it will cost the Government. Yes, in breaking through we have got a little bloodied, but our efforts were not in vain, and they must not be in vain. "I encourage you to explore the Australia Park in China where partnerships and collaboration between these two great nations will flourish for years to come," the statement in Mr Robb's name said. We have always worked closely with our contacts and jealously guard their identities. In April 2016, less than three months before his consultancy agreement began, Mr Robb visited China with an Australian delegation in his capacity as Australia's trade envoy. Mr Robb resigned as trade minister in February, before leaving Parliament at this year's election. 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. 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. Barnaby Joyce has called on former trade minister Andrew Robb to answer questions on his role with Landbridge - leasee of the Darwin port - as former top US intelligence chief James Clapper . 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. It's been built and rebuilt in the near-century since. There are indications of some recognition of this at the federal level. "Australia-China political relations had "turned to custard" and . Ye Cheng, of Landbridge, and then trade minister Andrew Robb in 2015. Credit: Glenn Campbell. In Australia it gave influential Liberal Party figure and former trade minister Andrew Robb an $880,000 job just months after he . [14], Robb is a board member of the Kidman cattle enterprise and the Network Ten television station. But others may have learnt valuable lessons too. 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. Can the Darwin Port's 99-year lease to China be reversed? Mr Robb's job with Landbridge commenced on July 1, 2016, according to a Four Corners Fairfax Media 2017 joint investigation. Mr Robb had announced months earlier he would not recontest his seat of Goldstein. Liberal Andrew Robb took $880k China job as soon as he left Parliament. 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. Quite the reverse. 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. And 96 years from now is long enough for a lot more to happen. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 2004 to 2016, representing the Liberal Party. According to Morrison "Andrew Rodd is a person of the highest integrity. Good sources are critical to good journalism. Dr Garrick said Australia needed to get over its fear and be aware of Chinese strategies, suggesting it was necessary to engage in a public debate about China's wielding of power and influence in Australia. Mr Robb said he was not doing business in Australia so could not be captured by the new scheme. If Landbridge was to default, it would lose its money. 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.. Rather than sell outright, the territory government decided to lease the port, and sell a controlling stake in the ports operator. Please try again later. "There's a pattern it's like a blueprint. 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, . 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. The bid for the port was examined and approved by the Foreign Investments Review Board, the Defence Department and ASIO. Ye Cheng, of Landbridge, and then trade minister Andrew Robb in 2015. 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)". 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. A Chinese company that owns a 99-year lease on Darwin port has warned that its treatment at the hands of the Australian government risks scaring away investors from other countries. Robb was still Federal Director and campaign manager in 1996 when John Howard after he replaced Downer as leader in 1995, won the 1996 federal election campaign, which defeated the Keating government and brought the Liberals to power after 13 years in Opposition. 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. Redirecting funding to pet hobbies; offering jobs to the boys without a proper tender process; secretly bankrolling candidates in elections; taking up private sector jobs in apparent breach of parliaments code of ethics, the list goes on. Andrew Robb, Martin Ferguson, Peter Reith and Stephen Conroy are among the former ministers who swiftly took jobs as lobbyists Thu 27 Jun 2019 14.00 EDT Last modified on Thu 27 Jun 2019 21.35 EDT 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. [22], Robb is part owner of The Boathouse Group, which operates a number of Sydney restaurants and other venues. And they have picked this bloke, the Leader of the Opposition, as their candidate.. Senior Lecturer, Business Law, Charles Darwin University. Ms McKenzie was chief of staff to Andrew Robb when he was the Liberal government's trade, investment and tourism minister. Mr Robb also took a shot at former deputy PM Barnaby Joyce for his role in the deteriorating relationship with China. Why did the NT lease Darwin Port to China? John Garrick does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. [23], As of 2020, Robb serves as a director on the board of Mind Medicine Australia,[24] a not-for-profit organisation which promotes the introduction of psychedelic treatments for mental illnesses. [20][21] Robb's employment with Landbridge Group ended in 2018, which Robb attributed to an atmosphere increasingly critical of the Chinese government. [15], In October 2016, it was announced that Robb had joined the Landbridge Group,[16][17] a Chinese company which had been granted a 99-year lease on Port Darwin in 2015, as a "high-level economic consultant". There are endless opportunities in Northern Australia; the trick is to have government truly engaged as a partner in attracting the critical investment dollars. "We love yuz all!" Former trade minister Andrew Robb has quietly ceased his controversial $880,000 per annum consultancy with a company closely linked to the Chinese government, as the deadline looms for lobbyists for overseas state interests to sign up to Australias new foreigninfluence register. 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. In relation to the Ministerial Standards, Scott Ryan, the Minister Assisting the Cabinet Secretary, reiterated the rules for former frontbenchers. Andrew Robb Pty Ltd provide strategic advice in solving problems and capturing opportunities, particularly in regards to: Until his recent retirement from politics, Andrew Robb was Australias Minister for Trade, Investment and Tourism. The operator of Darwin Port is struggling to pay down debt and is reliant on a letter of support from its Chinese owner. Local government officials love signing such deals. Keep up with the latest ASX and business news, MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo dies at age of 46. Landbridge Australia, a subsidiary of Shandong Landbridge, won the 99-year lease with its bid of A$506 million in November 2015. Three months later, Mr Robb was on Landbridge's payroll.Credit: Landbridge. 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 last year. 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. [8] The then leader of the Liberal Party, former Defence Minister, Brendan Nelson, announced that Robb would be Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs in the new Coalition Shadow Cabinet. The Turnbull Government has declined to say when it became aware of the appointment. 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. Regardless of the merits of the comment (which the boss of ASIO has dismissed as dangerous and divisive from Dutton), it hardly comes as a surprise that China might one someone else in power other than the party that has openly attacked and started trade wars with them. 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. [4] 'A seriously dumb idea': Why did the NT lease Darwin's port to China? Former trade minister Andrew Robb, who . Robb claimed in 1991 that Peter Reith and Hewson were spooked into releasing their policies too early. And I mean, know that you mention it, you can kind of see why we arent that keen on a Federal ICAC, he laughed.

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