Mr Ye is the owner of Landbridge, which controversially acquired the 99-year lease for the Port of Darwin in 2015. Andrew Robb's $880k China consultancy started day - Michael West Mr Robb is currently Chairman of The Robb Group (wealth management, corporate and investment advisory company), the AgriFood Data Exchange, CDMA and CLARA Energy; a Board Member of the Kidman cattle enterprise, Mind Medicine Australia, and strategic advisor to Seafarms Ltd as well as a range of national and international businesses. Then US president Barack Obama expressed concern about the lack of consultation. Former trade and investment minister Andrew Robb has taken up an advisory position with the Chinese company behind the controversial 99-year lease of the Darwin port, raising concerns about . Mr Brumby announced in February he was quitting the Australian board of Huawei, the Chinese telco accused by security agencies of posing a security risk to western communications infrastructure. Crunch decision on Chinese-owned Port of Darwin looms Chinas strategy is very long-term. Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng, former prime minister Tony Abbott and then trade minister Andrew Robb at the signing of the China-Australia free trade agreement in June 2015. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen. David Llewellyn-Smith is Chief Strategist at the MB Fund and MB Super. As soon as he left politics, Robb was hired by Shandong Landbridge on a $880,000 per year salary. Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng, former prime minister Tony Abbott and then trade minister Andrew Robb at the signing of the China-Australia free trade agreement in June 2015. Mr Carr recently announced he was stepping down as director of the Australia-China Relations Institute, which was founded by controversial billionaire political donor Huang Xiangmo. "Rather than being xenophobic about this, we need to be alive to the commercial deals that are being done and what might come later," Dr Garrick said. In late 2018, the ForeignInfluence Transparency Scheme became active with the launch of a public register for people who seek to influence the Australian political process on behalf of foreign interests. Ye Cheng, of Landbridge, and then trade minister Andrew Robb in 2015. Andrew Robb did not tell prime minister about role with Chinese company From left, now Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, Landbridge chief Ye Cheng and then trade minister Andrew Robb at a northern development conference in 2015. revealed his fee, and that he had joined the company straight after quitting parliament, has been blocked from entering Australia and has had his permanent residency cancelled, continues to advocate for Australia to back the policy. Crikey is an independent Australian source for news, investigations, analysis and opinion focusing on politics, media, economics, health, international affairs, the climate, business, society and culture. And they have picked this bloke, the Leader of the Opposition, as their candidate.. Peter Dutton says circumstances were different in 2015. Andrew Robb's secret China contract: money for nothing It may have been pushed by . Landbridge has bought the lease, rather than a Chinese bank lending funds to the Northern Territory government to develop the port. The deal to lease parts of the port followed successive federal governments refusing to fund necessary upgrading of the ports infrastructure to meet growing demand. Soft power goes hard: China's economic interest in the Pacific comes with strings attached. Andrew Robb takes role with Chinese company that operates Darwin port Read more Brandis on Wednesday tried to assuage Robb, saying his former colleague needn't be concerned about the crackdown. Following the election of the Abbott government in 2013, Robb was appointed Minister for Trade and Investment. Robb argued that a formal citizenship test would be a clear incentive for aspiring citizens to have basic English language skills and understanding of their community. Landbridge signed . Keep up with the latest ASX and business news, MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo dies at age of 46. Robb then left politics and took up a lucrative 'consultancy' gig with Landbridge less than 12 months later, making who knows how much from helping actual jeopardise our national security. Ninety-six years is a long time by any standard. Cash Because it's for sale! But the Darwin port deal differs in significant ways to other . News State NT News Andrew Robb joins Chinese company with control of Darwin Port 3:40am, Oct 31, 2016 Updated: 3:48am, Oct 31 Andrew Robb joins Chinese company with control of Darwin Port That is obvious. "There's not enough evidence for them to do that, other than the sense that this is a dumb move, and why would you do this when the money is already gone and 96 years on the lease to go?" He described the situation as "reviewable," suggesting he may beginworking for the company again in future. [27], The following week, Robb said in an interview with 3AW's Neil Mitchell that he had found "doing things increasingly more difficult, I could be taking on more responsibilities especially in a public sense and decided to confront it a few weeks ago. Former PM Rudd urges review of lease of Darwin Port to China company He added that former minister Andrew Robb also took on a lucrative consulting job with Landbridge after he . Landbridge, a . [23], As of 2020, Robb serves as a director on the board of Mind Medicine Australia,[24] a not-for-profit organisation which promotes the introduction of psychedelic treatments for mental illnesses. Neither has the fact that Mr Robb is being used to spruik a Chinese Communist Party-backed trade park as part of his consultancy agreement. The $506 million the Northern Territory Government was paid for a 99-year lease of the Darwin Port by Chinese company Landbridge is long gone, but Australians' feelings of unease remain. Previously, he was a general reporter in Crikey's Sydney office, where he started in 2018 while completing an arts/law degree at the University of Sydney. The was not without its controversy - even before Australia-China relations soured, as Andrew Robb, a former minister for trade, took an $880,000 consultancy position with the Chinese group immediately following his exit from politics in 2016. That was the day before the 2016 federal election, that Mr Robb had stated months earlier he would not be contesting. Chinese company secures 99-year lease of Darwin port in $506m deal Now not so much. The company knows how to cultivate political connections. To cancel the lease, you'd have to pay an enormous amount of compensation to the lease holder," he said. This story is part two in our look at the port as part of Curious Darwin, our story series where you ask us the questions, vote for your favourite, and we investigate. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. It was a decision that baffled everyone from NT locals to Barack Obama, a strategic asset lease that slipped past the Foreign Investment Review Board and Defence. But the Darwin port deal differs in significant ways to other port acquisitions. The reason Darwin port was leased to the Chinese is because federal government at the time (LNP) refused to fund the ageing Darwin Port. Liberal Andrew Robb took $880k China job as soon as he left Parliament "It's probably too late to do anything. All above board, maybe, but does it really pass the pub test? Ashley Manicaros: Build a Landbridge and get over the leasing of Darwin The new register is designed to ensure that, if a person is advocating on behalf of a foreign power, it is declared. Foreign and strategic policy has effectively been left to the local level. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 2004 to 2016, representing the Liberal Party. In December 2017, then Attorney-General George Brandis suggested that Mr Robb would have to sign up to the new register. Oh, that was like 7 years ago, said Dutton about Former Trade Minister Andrew Robbs advocacy to give Chinese company Landbridge a 99-year lease to the Port of Darwin. READ MORE ABOUT BLACK DOG DAZE, CLICK HERE. The combined filings show Landbridge borrowed at least $870 million in the months leading up to its Darwin Port acquisition from the high yield market and local bond market. Former "stooge of China" gives nod to Darwin Port seizure The port has operated in a number of locations, including Stokes Hill Wharf, Cullen Bay and East Arm Wharf. Andrew Robb joins Chinese company with control of Darwin Port, Keep up with the latest ASX and business news, MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo dies at age of 46. Write an article and join a growing community of more than 163,400 academics and researchers from 4,609 institutions. "We love yuz all!" The former trade minister Andrew Robb did not talk to Malcolm Turnbull before taking on his role as an economic consultant with the Chinese company that operates the Darwin port.. Landbridge signed a $506m agreement with the Northern Territory government in October last year for a 99-year lease of the port.. Robb's consultancy was reportedly announced by the Landbridge Group on 2 September . he said. Andrew Robb says said Canberra had every right to reassess the port lease in light of changing strategic circumstances. Many Curious Darwin readers asked how Mr Robb was . Former trade minister Andrew Robb becomes a "high-level economic consultant" with the Chinese company that now operates Darwin Port, a $506 million deal that sparked concerns at the highest levels . In December 2017, then Attorney-General George Brandis suggested that Mr Robb would have to sign up to the new register. If the deal falls over, the government will need to seek new equity partners. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); With access to over 4 million readers per month, and often more, we provide opportunities to add value to different brands across the country who are interested. He added that defences raised by NT Government politicians and public servants about being able to take the port back in the case of rising tensions didn't address the strategic risk now, or the consequences of that later. [10], Robb is a republican;[11] he is against abortion except where the health and state of the mother are in serious threat.[12]. They must also ensure their personal conduct upholds the reputation of Parliament. Dont pay so you can read it. Liberal Andrew Robb took $880k China job as soon as he left Parliament. has employed former trade minister Andrew Robb as a consultant, paying . This is what you need to know, Canberra grassland earless dragon headed for extinction as ACT government updates list of threatened species, Buses, ferries proposed as Hobart stadium transport fix, Live: MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo remembered for 'wicked sense of humour'. Now, in a climate where national security concerns dominate the China relationship, the deal seems like a strange throwback to a simpler time a time when ministers like Andrew Robb and Josh Frydenberg could pose for photos with CCP-aligned Chinese billionaires, and when the relationship with our biggest trading partner was dominated by economic optimism. In 2004, he was comfortably elected to the safe Liberal seat of Goldstein in Melbourne and was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs on 27 January 2006. There are indications of some recognition of this at the federal level. Mr Ye frames much of his business activity, including the acquisition of the Port of Darwin lease, in terms of advancing Beijing's ambitious global trade and infrastructure policy "One Belt, One Road". Robb then left politics and took up a lucrative consultancy gig with Landbridge less than 12 months later, making who knows how much from helping actual jeopardise our national security.