Darwin Port’s ownership ‘should be torn up’: Senator Jacqui Lambie
The NT government has insisted the Federal Government must pay for any re-nationalisation of the Darwin Port as a high-profile senator calls for the facility to be taken out of Chinese hands.
Northern Territory
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ATTENTION has turned to Darwin Port after the federal government tore up Victoria’s controversial Belt and Road agreement with China on Wednesday.
Darwin’s East Arm port was controversially leased for 99 years in 2015 by the then-CLP government to Chinese company Landbridge for $506 million.
But the port’s effective sale was criticised over fears it would weaken Australia’s national security.
Speaking on Thursday, infrastructure and essential services minister Eva Lawler said she would be happy to work with the federal government if they decided to nationalise the port.
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“The port has been a long journey and one that rears its head every now and then,” Ms Lawler said.
“If the federal government is going to tear up that agreement … then they need to pay the Northern Territory government or the commercial interests for that,” she said.
Outspoken Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie meanwhile told Sky News the Morrison government needed to look again at Chinese ownership of Darwin Port.
“That should be torn up,” Ms Lambie said.
“It’s about time we had a good look at that Port of Darwin because if anything goes on in the future … you can guarantee we are going to need to be operating from there,” she said.
“We have a couple of thousand Marines up there, the US is sitting up there, it is in our national interest to do something about that.”
Foreign minister Marise Payne announced late Wednesday that four arrangements between the Victorian and foreign governments, including its controversial ‘understanding’ with China over the Belt and Road Initiative, would be cancelled.
“I consider these four arrangements to be inconsistent with Australia’s foreign policy or adverse to our foreign relations,” Ms Payne said.
The minister indicated further agreements between Australian states and territories and other foreign powers would be scrutinised.
“I expect the overwhelming majority of them to remain unaffected,” Ms Payne said.
Under new legislation passed late last year, states, territories, universities and local governments have been required to notify any arrangements with foreign powers.
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