Scott Morrison could have power to rip up Victoria’s Belt and Road deal within weeks

Scott Morrison and Daniel Andrews could again face off over Victoria’s controversial Belt and Road deal with China.

The Morrison government will have the power to rip up Victoria’s controversial Belt and Road deal with China within weeks.

While federal Labor wants the government to rewrite the new laws, it will support the changes in the Senate, setting up a showdown between Scott Morrison and Daniel Andrews.

The Prime Minister has called on the Premier to cancel his agreement linking Victoria with the Chinese Communist Party’s signature soft power initiative for global co-operation on infrastructure.

Australian MP Daniel Andrews in Tiananmen Square, China. Picture: Twitter

Under the laws, Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne will have the power to cancel the agreement as soon as the legislation passes the parliament.

But constitutional law expert Professor George Williams told a Senate inquiry into the reforms that the commonwealth could face a High Court challenge.

“It goes to the heart of the exercise of executive power by the state of Victoria, and it’s a matter that only the High Court can ultimately resolve as to whether it trespasses, through this Bill, into state functions,” he said.

On Wednesday, Deputy Premier James Merlino defended the state government’s approach, saying they were focused on “good trade relations with China”.

But with China enforcing new roadblocks on Australian imports, Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh said: “The dodgy Belt and Road deal is all one-way traffic that’s delivering no benefit to Victoria.”

Federal opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong said the design of the new powers was “sloppy” but that Labor supported the objective.

“Australia should speak with one voice internationally,” she said.

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Originally published as Scott Morrison could have power to rip up Victoria’s Belt and Road deal within weeks