Stop China from meddling in our politics and buying up vital assets to undermining our institutions: China's 'insidious' influence on Australia is sensationally laid bare in fiery Jacqui Lambie speech
- Crossbench senators have spoken out against China in the Federal Parliament
- Jacqui Lambie highlighted mysterious death of Chinese informer 'Nick' Zhao
- Tasmanian senator pointed to Labor Party bribes, undermining of democracy
- Speeches occurred hours after new trade figures showed the reliance on China
- Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick moved a motion for a China Senate inquiry
- That occurred a day after his party's founder Nick Xenophon defended Huawei
A line-up of powerful senators has condemned China's 'insidious' and growing influence on Australia, warning our democracy and way of life are being undermined.
One by one they spoke out against the Communist superpower, from the bribing of Labor Party officials to the suspicious death of a Chinese intelligence informer, groomed as a possible Liberal candidate.
The outspoken crossbench lawmakers savaged China's growing influence only hours after official figures showed Australia was even more reliant on our major trading partner to prop up the flagging economy.
For the first time since 1973, Australia's exports were worth more than the imports for two consecutive quarters - a rare situation known as a current account surplus.
Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie accused the Coalition government and the Labor opposition of ignoring the China threat - hours after the Australian Bureau of Statistics figures were released.
She stressed her concerns were with the Chinese government and not Chinese immigrants, who first came to Australia during the 1850s gold rush.
The major parties joined forces to defeat the call for a Senate inquiry into China.
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A line-up of powerful senators has condemned China's 'insidious' influence on Australia, warning our democracy and way of life are being undermined. Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie (pictured) accused the Coalition government and the Labor opposition of ignoring the China threat
Senator Lambie had accused Labor and the Coalition of downplaying China's influence.
'It's about time the people in this place woke up to China's attempts to infiltrate our economy and our democracy,' she told Parliament on Tuesday night.
'I can tell you that the other 25million Australians out there have.
'Both sides of politics need to take a good, hard look at themselves and make sure they're acting in our national interest. Quite obviously, over China, they are not.'
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Senator Lambie also highlighted the mysterious death of Bo 'Nick' Zhao, 32, in a Melbourne motel room in March, after he had reportedly told the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation about a Chinese operative's attempts to convince him to run as a federal Liberal Party candidate in Melbourne.
'We're sitting ducks here. We're leaving ourselves open and we're letting the Communist Party in China come in here and undermine our democracy,' she said.
'There's still nothing to see here according to Labor and the Libs.
'People are literally showing up dead. Someone who was supposedly cultivated by the Chinese government to run as a Liberal Party candidate in the Commonwealth Parliament has shown up dead.
Senator Lambie also highlighted the mysterious death of Bo 'Nick' Zhao (pictured) in a Melbourne motel room in March, after he had reportedly told the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation about a Chinese operative's attempts to convince him to run as a federal Liberal Party candidate in Melbourne
Senator Lambie agreed with ASIO chief Duncan Lewis's (pictured) assertion the Chinese were trying to overrun Australia
'This is not some wacky conspiracy theory. This is happening.'
Senator Lambie agreed with ASIO chief Duncan Lewis's assertion the Chinese were trying to overrun Australia.
'The Chinese government is seeking to "take over" Australia's political system through its "insidious" foreign interference operations,' she said.
'It might take decades, he said. I don't think it will. I don't disagree with it.
'I don't think it's going to take decades. They're coming in by stealth. You need to wake up.'
Senator Lambie, a former Labor staffer, also savaged the ALP's New South Wales branch for receiving $100,000 in an Aldi bag linked to Chinese billionaire property developer Huang Xiangmo, who is now banned from re-entering Australia because of his ties to the Communist Party.
'Does anyone really believe that money was handed over with no strings attached?,' she said.
Former state Labor MP Ernest Wong was also linked to billionaire Huang Xiangmo and was accused in an ICAC hearing of evading his connections to an illegal Chinese donation
'Please! Does anyone really believe that it was just a friendly way for a Chinese property developer to support our democracy? I don't think anyone believes it.
'Everyone knows that the Communist Chinese government uses money to influence our political processes.'
Kaila Murnain lost her job as Labor's general secretary in New South Wales, after an Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing in August revealed she knew about her party in 2015 accepting the $100,000 donation in an Aldi shopping bag linked to Communist Party-connected billionaire Huang Xiangmo.
Former state Labor MP Ernest Wong, also linked to Mr Huang, was accused in an ICAC hearing of evading his connections to an illegal Chinese donation.
Shortly after 6pm, Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick moved a motion that Australia's relationship with the People's Republic of China be referred to the Senate's Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee for an inquiry, with a report published in November 2020.
Ironically, a day earlier the founder of his political party, Nick Xenophon, accused Australia of making 'false accusations' against Chinese telecommunications equipment firm Huawei.
Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick moved a motion for a Senate inquiry into China. Ironically, a day earlier the founder of his political party, Nick Xenophon (pictured), accused Australia of making 'false accusations' against Chinese telecommunications equipment firm Huawei
Mr Xenophon's new law firm is now representing in Australia a Chinese company that is banned from installing both the National Broadband Network and 5G mobile over spying and cybersecurity fears.
Senator Patrick's motion was also backed by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, her Queensland Senate colleague Malcolm Roberts, Centre Alliance's Stirling Griff and outgoing senator and former Liberal Cory Bernardi.
Senator Roberts said China was deliberately seeking to dominate a series of smaller countries.
'It's about strategic control—and the emphasis is on "control",' he said.
The motion was defeated 38 votes to 15, with the Coalition and Labor voting against it as the Greens sided with the other crossbench senators.
Iron ore, used to make steel, is Australia's most valuable export.
Resources Minister Matt Canavan, the deputy Senate leader of the Nationals, spoke out against the motion for an inquiry into China.
'The China relationship is important and complex, engaging a full range of national interests,' the Queensland senator said.
'We have a comprehensive strategic partnership, which benefits both countries.
Last month, China banned Liberal MPs Andrew Hastie (pictured) and James Paterson from visiting for a study tour after they criticised the authoritarian regime
On Tuesday night, Senator Paterson (pictured) voted against the motion for a Senate inquiry into China. Two hours later, he accused Mr Xenophon of being a hypocrite as a lawyer for Huawei
'We seek to address differences through dialogue and with respect.'
Last month, China banned Liberal MPs Andrew Hastie and James Paterson from visiting for a study tour after they criticised the authoritarian regime.
On Tuesday night, Senator Paterson voted against the motion for a Senate inquiry into China.
Two hours later, he accused Mr Xenophon of being a hypocrite as a lawyer for Huawei.
'In interviews yesterday, Mr Xenophon stated that his firm may also launch legal action against critics of Huawei in Australia,' he told Parliament.
'This is despite the fact that in the Senate he called for reform of defamation laws and warned about the impact that they were having on public interest journalism.
China, a land of 1.4billion people, isn't just Australia's biggest trading partner. It is also a major owner of infrastructure assets
'Huawei was also recently implicated in the mass surveillance and detention of Uygurs in Xinjiang.'
China, a land of 1.4billion people, isn't just Australia's biggest trading partner.
It is also a major owner of infrastructure assets.
The Chinese have a 99-year lease on the Port of Darwin and Western Australia's Merredin airport.
They also own cattle stations, a wind farm and even a baby food manufacturer.
Senator Lambie said Australians could already see what was happening.
'They're scared that our country is being bought up,' she said.
The Chinese have a 99-year lease on the Port of Darwin (pictured) and Western Australia's Merredin airport
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