andrew robb darwin port

He was educated at Dookie Agricultural College, Parade College and La Trobe University, and has qualifications in economics and agricultural science. Mr Ye is the owner of Landbridge, which controversially acquired the 99-year lease for the Port of Darwin in 2015 . 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. Then US president Barack Obama expressed concern about the lack of consultation. has employed former trade minister Andrew Robb as a consultant, paying . He served as Minister for Trade and Investment (20132016) in the Abbott and Turnbull governments, and also briefly as Minister for Vocational and Further Education in the Howard government in 2007. "We're the victim here, it's about time Andrew Robb and other Chinese apologists stop victim-blaming.". Then trade minister Andrew Robb is congratulated after he concluded the second reading debate on the China - Australia Free Trade Agreement in 2015.Credit: Andrew Meares. 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. 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 this role Mr Robb negotiated Free Trade Agreements with South Korea, Japan and China, as well as the 12 country Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Singapore. Any attempt by Landbridge to use the port as security to borrow money from a Chinese bank would trigger renegotiation of the lease. In some cases the tone hasnt taken account of the sensitivities on the Chinese side, said Robb. Please try again later. That was the day before the 2016 federal election, that Mr Robb had stated months earlier he would not be contesting. The new register is designed to ensure that, if a person is advocating on behalf of a foreign power, it is declared. by Elizabeth Minter | Jul 20, 2020 | Deceptive Conduct, Liberal Party, QED. Darwin is now on the front line in managing tensions between Australias most important strategic ally and partner and its major trading partner. [3] Robb was still federal director when internal Liberal party negative polling was leaked to Kerry O'Brien on Lateline in May 1994 who embarrassed John Hewson with it and lead to Hewson's calling a leadership spill where he lost the leadership to Alexander Downer. Mr Robb said he was not doing business in Australia so could not be captured by the new scheme. This comes despite the fact they sold one of our most strategically positioned ports to a Chinese company with close links to the Chinese Communist Party in 2015. he said. "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. 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. As . Secondly, it's not 'we' this is in of those 'gotcha' questions should be asking PM Morrison. and back in 2016, when former trade minister Andrew Robb was enjoying his $880,000 a year consulting contract with Landbridge, . Port Darwin is the port in Darwin, Northern Territory, in northern Australia. "In short, we just don't know what might happen over the next 30 years, let alone the next 96, and the port has already been handed away," Mr James said. . 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.". Democracy under siege from the rising forces of plutocracy. "We've got an authoritarian government in a foreign country attempting to influence the Australian political debate, not just by improper means but in an improper fashion. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. 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. Liberal Andrew Robb took $880k China job as soon as he left Parliament. Andrew Robb says said "Canberra had every right to reassess the port lease in light of changing strategic circumstances. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Howard had to be talked out of dumping Andrew in 1995 from his position as Federal director. Mr Robb had announced months earlier he would not recontest his seat of Goldstein. Fairfax Media and Four Corners are not suggesting that Mr Robb has breached his obligations as an ex-minister. (Supplied: . . "We love yuz all!" "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. You get the drift of what behaviour this category captures. It ended with the city being decimated 77 short years ago. Ministerial business that just happens to coincide with a grand final or a concert; electorate business that must be conducted in prime tourist locations, or at the same time as party fundraisers. 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. In this capacity Robb worked with the next Leader of the Liberal Party, John Hewson, in the unsuccessful 1993 federal election campaign. A Critical Infrastructure Centre has been created to give extra national security advice. 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]. Nobody in the emerging liberal trading bloc is going to be upset by it. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. While he was Minister for Trade and Investment, Robb approved Chinese company Shandong Landbridge Group to lease Port Darwin for 99 years. "That model of developing other sites around the waterfront is part of the model that has been used in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Djibouti and other places," he said. Read more: Nine years of serving you has come to an end! 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. As a small, open economy international trade and foreign investment has been critical to providing jobs and prosperity by Australians since European settlement over 200 years ago. Andrew John Robb AO (born 20 August 1951) is an Australian former politician. Foreign and strategic policy has effectively been left to the local level. He is also a member of the national Chinese People's Consultative . The operator of Darwin Port is struggling to pay down debt and is reliant on a letter of support from its Chinese owner. Dont pay so you can read it. Former federal trade minister Andrew Robb took an annual $880,000 job with Landbridge after leaving federal parliament. 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. Mr Robb was reported to have pocketed more than $2 million plus expenses in his time. Mr Cheng's company, Landbridge Group, was embroiled in controversy when it was awarded a 99-year lease over the port of Darwin. . Additionally, he conducted 85 investment roundtables with 28 countries. They have been reactive, readily accepting the lure of pearls cast on our shores without considering longer-term currents. Leasing Darwin Port was a political not a legal decision, made in Canberra not Darwin. In 1990, after Andrew Peacock's resignation after his election defeat, Robb was appointed federal director of the Liberal Party. 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. Mr Robb's job with Landbridge commenced on July 1, 2016, according to a Four Corners Fairfax Media 2017 joint investigation. "Andrew has said he's aware of the ministerial code of conduct and he'll abide by it," she said. 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. 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. Can the Darwin Port's 99-year lease to China be reversed? Quite the reverse. Now not so much. Were working to restore it. The statement also said deputy secretary Liu had met Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and NT Chief Minister Adam Giles on April 14, 2016, and "proposed the co-operative model of Two Countries, Two Parks". Follow our live coverage. The Turnbull Government has declined to say when it became aware of the appointment. more. 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. Follow our live coverage. 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. Mr Robb had announced months earlier he would not recontest his seat of Goldstein. David Llewellyn-Smith is Chief Strategist at the MB Fund and MB Super. In 2007, Robb was elevated to the Ministry and took on the role as Minister for Vocational and Further Education. In cases like Sri Lanka, China offered loans to build infrastructure. 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 project "One Belt, One Road". Australia Defence Association executive director Neil James agreed. 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. Port in a storm: the Darwin lease made sense only a few years ago. This website is dedicated to the public interest. 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. News National Former PM Rudd urges review of lease of Darwin Port to China company. [20][21] Robb's employment with Landbridge Group ended in 2018, which Robb attributed to an atmosphere increasingly critical of the Chinese government. As soon as he left politics, Robb was hired by Shandong Landbridge on a $880,000 per year salary. Robb announced his retirement from politics on 10 February 2016. 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. "I had been commissioned by Landbridge for well over a year to prepare a comprehensive report on ways that Australia's world class health industry could assist with a major improvement of China's public health system," Mr Robb wrote in answer to questions. 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. 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. By Leith van Onselen. Ultimately, he said the move was all about soft power and influence. Mr James said Mr Robb's comments seemed to be made to advance the position of the Chinese business interests he served. [25], During 2009 Laurie Oakes's column in The Australian, Robb disclosed that he was stepping down from the opposition front bench for three months to address a form of depression brought on by Diurnal Variation, which is typically experienced as positive mood variation (PMV mood being worse upon waking and better in the evening). Another Robb entity is facing (in mid 2019) a wind-up motion from the Commissioner of Taxation over unpaid taxes. The reason Darwin port was leased to the Chinese is because federal government at the time (LNP) refused to fund the ageing Darwin Port. This story is part two in our look at the port as part of Curious Darwin, our story series where you ask us the questions, vote for your favourite, and we investigate. "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 invites reflection on the wisdom, three years ago, of the Northern Territory government deciding to lease the Port of Darwin (now known as Darwin Port) to a Chinese company for 99 years and of the federal government going along with it. 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. But now, by design or not, the Darwin port deal increasingly looks like a blueprint for how Chinese interests can take control of foreign ports as it is doing by various means around the world without arousing local opposition. 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. 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. "Once the idiotic deal was done, we as a country are effectively over a barrel. Become a subscriber to get full access to the website, as well as our premium newsletters. Mr Robb is one of several senior former Australian politicians who have been hired by or who hold roles funded by businesses or businessmen closely aligned to the Chinese Communist Party. 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. You can submit your questions on any topic at all, or vote on our next investigation. 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. 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. Following the election of the Abbott government in 2013, Robb was appointed Minister for Trade and Investment. 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.". 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. Mr Ye is the owner of Landbridge, which controversially acquired the 99-year lease for the Port of Darwin in . Thats open. Chinas strategy is very long-term. 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. But the deal put Darwin directly in the crossfire between US and Chinese interests. 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. 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. President Xi subsequently established an integration committee to oversee civilian and military investment in technology. Andrew Robb today completely rejected the assertions and innuendo made in a piece of gutter journalism in the Sunday Age newspaper. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. It makes Darwin an interesting case study a point of contest between the strategies of the US and China. The bid for the port was examined and approved by the Foreign Investments Review Board, the Defence Department and ASIO. 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. 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. quietly ceased his controversial consultancy with Landbridge. While the centre of US-Chinese tensions is the South China Sea where China has militarised reefs in disputed waters Darwin is important because it is the southern flank of US operations in the Pacific. 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. "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. Murders of Andrew Robb and David McIlwaine, Minister for Vocational and Further Education, hired by Shandong Landbridge on a $880,000 per year salary, Learn how and when to remove this template message, JapanAustralia Economic Partnership Agreement, "Liberal Andrew Robb takes $880k China job as soon as he finishes in parliament", "Andrew Robb quits China-linked form before foreign interference law kicks in", "With memories of '93, the opposition readies the troops never to lose an unlosable election again", "ROBB: Andrew: Officer of the Order of Australia", "Liberals quietly go monarchist under Abbott", "Tony Abbott's cabinet and outer ministry", "Andrew Robb's secret China contract: money for nothing", "Andrew Robb unleashes over being targeted in foreign probe", "Robb joins Chinese company with control of Darwin Port", "Coalition defends Andrew Robb after revelation he started job while an MP", "ASIO warned politicians about taking cash from Huang Xiangmo, Chau Chak Wing", "China's 'invisible billionaire' the Port of Darwin's new owner", "Robb says work on a project in China was 'put in the bin' over toxic relations", "Investors keep The Boathouse Group afloat", "Coronavirus pandemic could trigger a spike in mental illness this organisation thinks psychedelic drugs will help", "Interview with Neil Mitchell, 3AW 693am: Andrew Robb MP - Federal Member for Goldstein", Andrew Robb profile on TheyVoteForYou.Org.Au, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Andrew_Robb&oldid=1151969229, Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia, Members of the Australian House of Representatives, Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Goldstein, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, BLP articles lacking sources from August 2007, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 April 2023, at 10:13.

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