A must see show for those interested in politics but too much for one show – many leads calling out for further investigations and we hope future episodes. This ABC online news article covers most but not all issues raised. ASIO investigation targets Communist Party links to Australian political system. I learnt a few things – that the resignation of NSW Labor Upper House MP Eric Roozendaal lead to appointing Ernest Wong – noted fund-raiser for Labor – to the NSW Upper House. Eric Roozendaal resigned after his wife was supplied with a cut price new Honda by connections to Eddie Obeid in a byzantine series of deals but eventually ICAC gave up trying to prove corruption.
Starting Nov 2015 I blogged six times on the stupidity of leasing the Port of Darwin to the Chinese company Landbridge.
Four Corners tracks the role of Andrew Robb former senior Federal cabinet minister who negotiated the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement. Dr Huang donated the Robb campaign $100K for 2013 election. Robb meets the boss of Landbridge – Robb resigned just before the 2 July 2016 Federal Election and Four Corners says that from 1 July 2016 has a job with Landbridge at an eye watering $880,000 per year. In another age courtiers could have lost their heads for far less.
ABC has this large assembly of articles touching on China and subjects raised by Four Corners. The first dozen look all on song.
www.abc.net.au/news/story-streams/china-power/
Morning Mail has a lot of text here which reads as if it is from Four Corners but although it covers most of the TV show it is not complete.
morningmail.org/politics-australia-cesspool-subspecies/#more-61500
Robb connections specifically talked about now.
Andrew Robb did not breach code of conduct by taking $880k consultancy role with Chinese billionaire, Scott Ryan says 7 Jun 17 –
www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-07/andrew-robb-china-consultancy-role-billionaire-scott-ryan/8596854
If you have to defend such a thing you have lost. I see Barnaby pretty sceptical.
When asked whether Mr Robb’s position was “appropriate”, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said “that is really a question that Mr Robb should answer”.
“I think it is only fair and reasonable that people are curious enough to want to know the answer and if further discussions need to be held in regards to people’s roles, then I will always back in our nation,” Mr Joyce said.
“I believe absolutely that there should never be any even implied undue influence.”