Daniel Andrews’ speech at Melbourne pro-China forum a mystery as reporters barred from event

Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp has provided her speech to a controversial China forum but Daniel Andrews says his own key address will stay a secret.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp has released her speech to a top-secret Chinese forum as Premier Daniel Andrews says there is no reason for him to provide his speaking notes.

Ms Capp said the forum, which barred local media from attending, was the first major face-to-face meeting with the China Chamber of Commerce since borders reopened.

“It was a worthy occasion to reflect, and I look forward to supporting our city businesses in their future commercial opportunities,” she said.

In her speech, Ms Capp said Melbourne had “developed close ties and ongoing support with China” and was “one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world”.

A spokeswoman for Ms Capp said the Lord Mayor’s office was “not aware of any media bans surrounding” the Post Pandemic China-Australia Economic Cooperation Forum.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp spoke of Melbourne’s sister city relationship with Tianjin. Picture: Jason Edwards

In her speech, Ms Capp said Melbourne had “developed close ties and ongoing support with China” and was “one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world”.

Ms Capp spoke of the City of Melbourne’s ongoing sister-city relationship with Tianjin and “strategic partnerships” with other Chinese cities Guangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou and Chengdu.

“Over the past decades, all those city connections have resulted in achievements in the areas of education, culture, business and trade as well as people-to-people exchange,” Ms Capp said in her address.

Ms Capp noted Deputy Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece visited China in April to explore opportunities in the green economy” and spruik Melbourne as a global investment destination.

Ms Capp spoke about Melbourne’s strong multiculturalism, noting 23 per cent of its residents were of Chinese descent while nearly a quarter of Melbourne’s international students hailed from China.

“Needless to say, the City of Melbourne values our Chinese community who helped build and continue to work with us to shape this city in many wonderful ways,” she said.

“I want to thank the China Chamber of Commerce Australia for playing an important role in supporting Chinese enterprises in Australia, particularly in Melbourne.”

Ms Capp added the “reopening of China has significant implications on Melbourne”, including “opportunities to revitalise our longstanding relationships, bringing investment, jobs and trade opportunities to our city”.

“On behalf of the City of Melbourne, I look forward to continuing to work with the China Chamber of Commerce Australia and supporting Melbourne’s economic recovery.”

The forum was held at the Park Hyatt Melbourne.

The release of Ms Capp’s speech on Wednesday came as Mr Andrews again refused to make public his speaking notes that were provided by his office.

The Premier said his speech was delivered off the cuff and that he didn’t refer to the notes.

Because of that, he said there was no justification to make his talking points public.

“I didn’t use notes, I spoke off the cuff,” he said on Wednesday.

“It’s often my practice, to the enduring frustration of my staff, I didn’t necessarily refer to them.

“I didn’t use them, so what purpose would that serve (to release them).”

Mr Andrews maintained that he was unaware that Australian media had been barred from attending the event.

“I didn’t organise the event. I didn’t invite anyone to the event. I didn’t prevent anyone from going to the event,” he said.

“If you have a challenge or a problem or issues in relation to the event, then the event organisers would be the logical place to go ... about who was invited in and who wasn’t.”

Asked if he was comfortable that media were banned from attending, Mr Andrews said: “I’ve given more press conferences than most and I’m often accompanied by you good people when I attend lots of different events, like seriously, is there ever a need to ask me whether I support the media having access to me?”

Dan’s great wall of silence

The Premier delivered his speech, on behalf of Victoria, to the Post Pandemic China-Australia Economic Cooperation Forum on Monday night.

But in a move described as “highly irregular”, those Victorians for whom Mr Andrews spoke cannot hear what he did or did not say.

The Herald Sun turned up to the forum, at the Park Hyatt, tape recorder in hand.

And was turned away from the super secretive talkfest ostensibly about navigating Chinese trade markets and opportunities.

It appears that the Herald Sun, along with all Australian media, was left off the invitation list.

A lady at the front desk said Chinese media only.

Signs outside the function room warned guests not to take photos or videos inside.

Former Trade Minister Andrew Robb was also a guest speaker.

Former Trade Minister Andrew Robb also delivered a speech at the forum.

“It was an important event,” Mr Andrews said on Tuesday.

“I certainly made the point that the China and Victoria partnership is critically important to jobs, to exports, to international education, to food and wine and every sector really.

“They are our biggest trading partner. If you’ve got a bad relationship with your biggest customer, your business has got real problems.”

Mr Andrews, who recently visited China without media, said he had “no idea” why local media was banned from attending the event.

Liberal MP James Paterson raised concerns about the forum’s sponsors. Picture: Mick Tsikas

The forum has been shrouded in mystery since the Herald Sun asked Mr Andrews’ office if he was speaking at it — then waited a week to receive confirmation that he was.

Opposition Leader John Pesutto said it wasn’t acceptable for the Premier to be delivering secret speeches.

“This is not IBAC where he gets to make his comments in secret. These are speeches that he’s making on behalf of the Victorian people,” he said.

“No political leader, whether it’s Daniel Andrews or myself, should expect to be able to give speeches in secret.

“It’s just not the way we operate in Victoria.”

Last week, Victorian Liberal MP James Paterson cited the Herald Sun to use Senate estimates to raise concerns about a forum sponsor, China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy (CIIDS).

He called it a “front group” for China’s top spy agency, the Ministry of State Security (MSS).

“As a matter of principle, is it appropriate for a MSS front group to be involved in organising a conference in Australia?” he asked.

On Tuesday, Senator Paterson said it was “highly irregular and inappropriate for a Premier to give a speech in Victoria and bar the media from attending”.

“What does Daniel Andrews have to hide?” he asked.

“What did he say that he doesn’t want Victorians to hear?

The Premier’s latest display of apathy for the media comes as he halts print advertising in the Herald Sun and The Age.

That strategy has raised fears that Victorians will miss out on vital information, such as campaigns to reduce the road toll, bushfire safety initiatives and public health alerts.

In a promotional video for the China forum, multinational law firm Pinsent Masons’, Andrew Fisken, told listeners post-pandemic China offers “a host of new opportunities from selling products and services into the Chinese market to leveraging Chinese technology and capital”.

“To hear leading experts from China and Australia provide their views on these topics and hear how you can leverage these opportunities to develop your business,” he said.