George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I will say, regardless of the party that was in power at the time, that it was a very dumb decision—and that is the best thing you could say—to put the port of Darwin into the hands of the Shandong Landbridge Group, a Chinese company, for 99 years. This is a Chinese company that has strategic links to communist China's People's Liberation Army, something that was known and was on the record. It was a very, very dumb decision indeed. I won't say the words that previous members have said that got them into trouble, but it comes very close to it, I would say, because this poses a national security concern for our country.

It wasn't for no reason that the United States was shocked at this decision. One of our closest allies was absolutely shocked to see that port, that strategic port to Asia, to our north—where all of the future conflict and military action is going to be—in the hands of that country, communist China, which has time and time again shown itself not to be a good global citizen. Not only does it persecute its own people—Christians, including Catholics; Falun Dafa practitioners; Tibetans; Uighurs; university students; democracy activists; and the people in Hong Kong, who have had their rights illegally stripped. The list goes on and on, all of that done by that nation. Now, not just against its own citizens does it lash out; it actually lashes out against other nations, in contravention of international maritime law. It has militarised that entire area of reefs in the South China Sea, a territory that is under dispute. Vietnam claims some of that territory and the Philippines claim some of that territory. China, without regard for those countries and their own sovereignty, came in and set up military shop in the middle of that area.

But we have let them come in and lease that port for 99 years, and we don't think that there is going to be some issue with it. Thankfully the view has changed. I'm sure the member for Kennedy will agree with me here. The new defence minister has initiated a review into this. That was actually after a committee that I chaired. The Joint Standing Committee on Trade and Investment Growth recommended a review into the leasing arrangements with the port of Darwin. Only too well did we recommend that, because I found out some shocking information from Northern Territory Senator Sam McMahon the other day that I want to relay to the House.

She has been informed by a whistleblower insider associated with Landbridge Group. What they have told her is very, very interesting indeed. The Northern Territory government does employ a harbourmaster for that port, but that harbourmaster is entirely administrative in terms of their functionality. They are not operational. They don't look after any of the operational controls. Landbridge runs harbour control. Landbridge runs scheduling. It gives them access to all data on vehicles, including military vessels, that enter or leave that harbour—the sailing time, their time in the port and all historical logs. Where, oh where, is that information going from Landbridge, which has control of it and which has strategic links with Communist China's People's Liberation Army? This is a disgrace. This is a danger to our national security.

My side of politics may have made the decision, but the decision is still bad. I'm sure I'm going to agree with all of the comments that are put forward by those on the opposite side, who will take political pot shots. But at the end of the day I want this ended. The people of Australia want it ended. It needs to be ended for the security of our nation. Ending this doesn't need to cost, either. Once this review has finished, hopefully the Australian government will find that this lease arrangement is not in our national interest and is against national security, and will pull the lever ensuring that Landbridge have to divest into Australian hands. That way it won't cost the taxpayer one dollar, nor should it. This has been a bad decision that could have cost us in the long run that I hope is rectified very soon.

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