Clive Palmer making friends in China.
Jackie Lambie calls for Australia to "double defence spending"
"to prevent Australians being enslaved by a “totalitarian foreign power” with a history of military aggression." http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nationa ... 045f6eb013THE Palmer United Party has intensified its attacks on China, with its Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie warning of the danger of an invasion of Australia, as she backed Clive Palmer’s criticism of “Chinese mongrels”.
Senator Lambie called for defence spending to be doubled to prevent Australians being enslaved by a “totalitarian foreign power” with a history of military aggression.
Hitting back following criticism of Mr Palmer’s initial remarks, Senator Lambie accused the two major parties of failing to defend the country against the rising threat.
“If anybody thinks that we should have a national security and defence policy, which ignores the threat of a Chinese Communist invasion — you’re delusional and got rocks in your head,” she wrote in an email to the media.
“The Communist Chinese military capacity and level of threat to the western world democracies is at an unprecedented and historical high.
“They come at a time when Australian military spending and capacity is at historic lows.
“Today China is controlled by an aggressive, anti democratic, totalitarian government. We need to double the size and capacity of our military right now.
“Both Labor and the Liberals/Nationals have failed to build an Australian military that is able to defend us — and stop our grandchildren from becoming slaves to an aggressive, anti-democratic, totalitarian foreign power.”
Senator Lambie described as a “timely warning” Mr Palmer’s tirade on ABC television last night in which he called the Chinese government “mongrels” and “bastards” who “want to take over this country” and who “shoot their own people”.
The PUP’s China-born senator Zhenya “Dio” Wang also backed his party leader, saying Mr Palmer’s remarks had been taken out of context and triggered by “provocative” questions on the Q&A show.
“From personal experience I have found Clive to be consistently respectful and supportive throughout our relationship in both the private sector and now in the political arena,” Senator Wang said in a statement. “There has never been the slightest suggestion on his part of a prejudicial view of members of the Chinese community.”
Senior government ministers warned Mr Palmer’s tirade would damage Australian trade and foreign relations, while West Australian Premier Colin Barnett said he would apologise for the mining magnate’s “highly offensive” remarks.
Julie Bishop said she planned to tell the Chinese embassy Australia’s parliament did not share Mr Palmer’s “abusive” views.
Joe Hockey warned the PUP leader to avoid letting his personal disputes with Chinese partners “bring down the rest of Australia” when employers were trying to lift exports to the rising Asian economy.
Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce linked Mr Palmer’s outburst to the negotiations over the budget with the Palmer United Party, saying the remarks gave voters an insight into the dealings with the politician.
Labor called the remarks “unhelpful” and “unacceptable” while Shanghai Chamber of Commerce president Peter Arkell went further, labelling them “bizarre” and “dangerous”.
Mr Palmer lashed out at the Chinese government and Chinese companies during the ABC Q & A program last night when asked by host Tony Jones about allegations he used a $12 million payment from Chinese state-owned company Citic Pacific, meant to support a port operation, to pay for some of his election campaign.
“We’ve had three judgments in the Federal Court and the Supreme Court of Western Australia and an arbitration against these Chinese mongrels,” he said of the business dispute.
“I’m saying that because they’re Communist, they shoot their own people, they haven’t got a justice system and they want to take over this country. And we’re not going to let them.”
Mr Palmer said the Chinese government wanted to bring workers into Australia to “destroy” the wages system and extract iron ore without paying for it.
“I don’t mind standing up against the Chinese bastards and stop them from doing it,” he told the program.
Mr Palmer sought to limit the damage this morning by saying his remarks were not aimed at the Chinese people.
“My #qanda comments not intended to refer to Chinese people but to Chinese company which is taking Australian resources & not paying,” he tweeted.
However, his televised remarks also seemed aimed at the Chinese government, with an apparent reference to the Tiananmen Square killings in 1989 when he mentioned the “Communists” who “shoot their own people”.
Mr Hockey said Mr Palmer’s comments would damage Australia’s relationship with China.
“I think it is hugely damaging for Mr Palmer to make those sort of comments because ultimately he is a big beneficiary of a Chinese investment partner, someone that has paid to help him develop his resources,” the Treasurer said.
“Now he is in a very obvious legal dispute with his Chinese partners.
“But I’d say to Mr Palmer: ‘please don’t bring down Australia as a result of your biases’.”
Mr Joyce said the remarks were not helpful to Australia’s relationship with China.
“He wanted to make a lot of money out of dealing with China,” Mr Joyce said of Mr Palmer.
“You can’t blame the Chinese for being tough business people — that’s what business is about.
“But the emotive and colourful language is not the way you do business.”
Bill Shorten warned that Mr Palmer’s remarks could offend Australians as well as damaging the bilateral relationship.
“I think a lot of Chinese-Australians would understandably feel hurt by these comments,” the Labor leader said. “We’ve come a long way as a proud multicultural nation and these comments are unacceptable.”
Mr Barnett, a staunch advocate of Chinese investment, also said Mr Palmer’s comments could be “extremely damaging” to the mining industry and to Canberra-Beijing relations.
He said would write to the Chinese Embassy in Canberra to apologise.
“Mr Palmer is displaying the worst of Australia. He is damaging the international standing of Australia in Chinese eyes, both in investment and government circles.
“He is behaving improperly. He is an embarrassment.”
Former federal MP Pauline Hanson also criticised Mr Palmer for the remarks.
“I never said what Clive Palmer said, and Tony Abbott thought I was his biggest headache,” Ms Hanson told the Seven Network’s Sunrise program.
“I’ve always said clean up your own backyard before criticising other people.”
Chinese investor Citic Pacific is taking legal action against Mr Palmer and his companies over payments including $12 million intended for port services.
Asked at the National Press Club last month whether that money was used to fund his election campaign, Mr Palmer said: “That’s just not true.”
But The Australian revealed last month that court documents showed some of the money was paid to a company called Media Circus Network, a media agency involved in Mr Palmer’s federal election campaign.
Queensland Supreme Court records show that two Citic companies, Korean Steel and Sino Iron, have started proceedings with Clive Frederick Palmer named as the sole respondent.
Mr Palmer has denied any wrongdoing.
Jones asked Mr Palmer if he could promise that “not a cent of that $12 million” went missing under his watch, but Mr Palmer refused.
“I can tell you that those allegations are not true … we will be taking immediate action in the Supreme Court,” Mr Palmer responded. He is to face court next week.
The federal government is negotiating a trade agreement with China in the hope of striking a deal in November when Chinese president Xi Jinping visits Australia for the G20 summit, building on Tony Abbott’s visit to Beijing in April.
China is Australia’s largest trading partner, according to official figures showing the trade in goods and services was worth more than $150 billion in 2013
PAFC. Forever.
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