Premier Daniel Andrews’ China deal 18 months in the making
VICTORIA’S secret trade and infrastructure agreement with China was more than 18 months in the making, the Premier’s travel reports reveal, as his federal Labor colleagues express concern over the deal.
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VICTORIA’S secret trade and infrastructure deal with China was more than 18 months in the making, the Premier’s travel reports reveal.
Victoria’s controversial Chinese Belt and Road Initiative began when Premier Daniel Andrews was the only Australian leader to attend the superpower’s forum in 2017.
Mr Andrews spruiked the Belt and Road forum invite as “confirmation of Victoria leading Australia in engagement with China”.
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“Positioning Victoria for future Belt and Road Initiative opportunities and promoting Victoria’s leadership and achievements in engaging with China to world leaders,” Mr Andrews’ travel report said.
But even his federal Labor colleagues are concerned with Victoria’s secret deal with China’s estimated trillion-dollar infrastructure program, with fears it is funding projects worldwide to increase its political power.
Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the agreement should be released “over time” as federal Labor MPs grew increasingly concerned over the Premier’s judgment.
“States engage in trade relationships with other countries, they set trade delegations, I’m not running for premier,” Mr Shorten said.
Federal Opposition defence spokesman Richard Marles said MOUs should be released publicly “as a general rule”, saying it was “much better” when agreements were made public.
A senior federal Labor MP told the Herald Sun Mr Andrews needed to backtrack “or at the very least find out a way to release the document”.
Another Labor MP said it was “astonishing” the Andrews Government hadn’t consulted DFAT or Australia’s security agencies before June this year on the deal.
On Thursday, Mr Andrews was also forced to defended adviser Marty Mei, who accompanied the Premier on all four of his trips to China.
Mr Mei reportedly had links to China’s United Front organisation and was reportedly a special consultant to the Shenzhen Association of Australia, part of a network of organisations that pushed pro-Beijing positions.
“He’s an outstanding Victorian, he happens to be of Chinese origin: he is very proud of that, I am very proud of him,” Mr Andrews said. “He does a lot of hard work and the suggestions … are a joke.”
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