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

Australia is at a crossroads. We can keep giving in to communist China's threats or we can stand up for our sovereignty and our economic independence. With more than 36 per cent of our exports being sold to China, representing 7.9 per cent of GDP, it's clear we have put too many eggs in the one basket. China now owns over 9.1 million hectares of our country: farms, factories, airports, resort islands, seaports, wind farms, solar farms and coalmines. They own more water than there is in Sydney Harbour—water that should be in the hands of Aussie farmers. Being so entangled with an authoritarian regime has left our nation open to economic blackmail and boycotts, like that mooted by China's ambassador and the actions recently against both our barley and beef exports.

The parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Trade and Investment Growth has launched an inquiry looking into these and other matters. This inquiry is the Australian people's opportunity to have their say by making a submission to that inquiry. We want to hear people's thoughts on our economic exposure to China, on foreign investment and whether people think that the current economic relationship with China is harmful to the national interest. It is time to speak up on China's economic infiltration and economic blackmail against our country. Enough is enough. We must take a stand for our national sovereignty.