Join the conversation, you are commenting as. Labor accuses Scott Morrison of 'encouraging' Darwin Port lease with Genting HK's World Dream Sold to Cruise Saudi and Renamed Manara In a recent opinion piece published by the Daily Mail, former British Defense and International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox and former U.S. National Security Adviser Robert McFarlane noted that China now owns 96 ports around the world. Asked recently about the Darwin port transaction, Mr Morrison claimed: "There was no authority for the federal government to reject, approve anything in relation to the leasing of that asset. The Register of Foreign Ownership of Water Entitlements report reveals 10.4% of Australian water rights are owned by foreigners and of this group, Chinese investors own 1.9% of the share. Hearing senior Treasury staff describe the Northern Territory's budget as being in "dire straits" is the bureaucratic equivalent to saying, "we're stuffed". 'The Darwin Port should be under Australian control.' Mr Gosling is among several current and former politicians - including Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie and ex prime minister Kevin Rudd -. U.S. state party control as of January 2022. "There's a lot wrong with the Darwin harbour, but it's the best of a bad lot across northern Australia, so over the next 99 years, if we want to build a big naval base somewhere it's probably going to be in Darwin," Mr James said. Face value of tickets range from $88.00 to $293.00. No choice: Mums rat-infested nightmare. Port Barnaby is a quid pro quo of sorts for lending his National Party's support to the Morrison government's emissions policy. 4 Which Australian wineries are Chinese owned? Which Australian wineries are Chinese owned? The town's growth was accelerated when gold was discovered. Unlike the Port of Darwin experience, NSW's lease or privatisation of Transgrid should be an open and considered process rather than a graceless race for cash. In his November 2015 interview in The Australian, Mr Richardson said Australian authorities could take back control of the port in any time of crisis using the Defence Act. Soon the government will consider a Defence Department review, initiated by Defence Minister Peter Dutton, of Chinese company Landbridges 99-year lease of the Port of Darwin. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Required fields are marked *. Jodie Ryan, who sat on the selection panel that chose Landbridge and was later promoted to the role of head public servant after the Gunner Labor Government's 2016 election victory, said the long-term risks of leasing the port to a Chinese-owned company were "considered as part of the assessment" and that "substantial due diligence was undertaken and involved independent financial and legal advisers".