Neither of the major parties came out of the weekend’s Port of Darwin farce well. Both played pathetic local politics with more than a touch of Trump about them, writes Michael Pascoe.
How embarrassing. Labor playing a very short-term political game has allowed itself to be wedged into another dumb “national security” decision.
And, pathetically, Labor thought it was being smart, getting its wedge-driven announcement out just before Dutton thanks to a Liberal leak, according to Niki Savva.
At least this one, promising to seize the Port of Darwin lease from its legitimate owner, isn’t as expensive as the half-trillion-dollar AUKUS debacle. (Nobody believes the subs will “only” end up costing $385 billion, if they ever happen.)
Albanese’s backflip embarrassment was at least tempered by the sight of Dutton also backflipping but with an additional pike and twist, given that he was a cabinet minister in the government that permitted the sale and voiced no need to overturn it in the decade since. Indeed, the Coalition Government paid the Northern Territory $20 million to encourage it to flog the thing.
And it was just 18 months ago that Albanese ruled out attempting to cancel the Darwin lease. In reality, there was no need to; nothing had changed since the full Defence Department security assessment of the deal in 2015, as detailed by then department head, Dennis Richardson – a bureaucrat from the days of broad experience and nuance.
A Trumpian stench
What should be embarrassing for both sides is the Trumpy whiff around their stunt, just when everything Trump is rank, smelling to heaven.
Trump lashed Panama with his usual mix of lies, falsehoods and grievance, claiming without basis that China controls the canal and that the US would take it back.
Nek minnit, billionaire BlackRock CEO Larry Fink is on the phone to the White House and landing the biggest single infrastructure deal yet for the world’s biggest asset manager, the one with $19 trillion worth on its books and a nice line of tax minimisation. (Yes, poor little weak preyed-upon America.)
Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison, the company that operated the ports at either end of the canal, could take a hint although the sale displeased Beijing through its loss of face.
So, what little mates might Labor and the LNP be lining up for Darwin in a forced sale by Landbridge? Does anyone have Mr Fink’s number, or has he already been on the line? Anyone for “sovereign risk”? And how much compensation will taxpayers be up for if it goes to court? Landbridge has immediately stated the port is not for sale.
Cheap politics
The politics are especially cheap by the LNP. Slipping in the polls, Dutton suddenly needs to beat up a “national security” issue, one of the conservatives’ traditional polling strengths when failing, with a bit of “Chinah” bashing implied.
On second thought, no, Labor’s politics are even cheaper. It is the government. It is responsible for our commonwealth. An opposition trying to get elected can be expected to say anything. Those sitting on the Treasury benches have the benefit of incumbency, but also the restraints of actual power.
The Darwin announcement stupidly apes the international joke that is the American president determined to bifurcate the world and damage China, our most important partner. With this stunt,
Dutton and Albanese have shown how small their world is, how limited their vision.
The US has proven unreliable on trade, on climate, and on security. Its treaties and agreements are worthless, making our relationships with the rest of the world much more important. As the US opens the door for Chinese regional leadership, it is not the time to pointlessly insult China.
Dutton has form in that regard. Overlooked everywhere but here, it was Dutton as the blabbermouth Home Affairs Minister who first threw the “China must come clean” barbs over COVID that quickly escalated into trade barriers, displaying all the diplomacy of, well, Peter Dutton.
A simple concrete thing
The Port of Darwin is a simple concrete thing. Nothing has changed about it since Dennis Richardson’s testimony, as the ABC reported, “Mr Richardson appeared before a parliamentary inquiry to give a detailed explanation of how Defence considered the implications of the lease, in the run-up to his decision to advise Treasury that Defence had no objection to the move. He said Defence assessed the risks of a shutdown or sabotage, cyber attacks, the port being used for intelligence gathering or stealing intellectual property.”
We did our due diligence very carefully over an extended period of time in respect of the Port of Darwin.
“Nothing that has been said since the announcement has given us pause for thought.” Richardson also revealed he ordered a special review of the Landbridge deal after security experts in Australia raised espionage concerns following the announcement, “After a couple of weeks of it I personally thought, ‘gee, have we missed something?”.
But he said intelligence agencies backed his initial assessment, “The written advice I received on that was that there were no significant implications and it was fine.”
Mr Richardson rubbished concerns from security analysts that the deal could give the Chinese navy access to the port as “alarmist nonsense” and “simply absurd,” and he continued, “The visit of foreign naval vessels anywhere around the world requires diplomatic clearance and that power resides within the Federal Government.”
Mr Richardson said consultations were carried out at the highest levels of government, including the National Security Committee of Cabinet, which was when a review was ordered into laws that allow states to sell strategic assets without scrutiny from the Foreign Investment Review Board.
The port remains a simple concrete thing. Nothing about it has changed, just the imperatives of weak local politicians prepared to put Australia’s best interests second to their own shallow ambitions.
Michael Pascoe is an independent journalist and commentator with five decades of experience here and abroad in print, broadcast and online journalism. His book, The Summertime of Our Dreams, is published by Ultimo Press.