House debates
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Questions without Notice
Economy
2:26 pm
Yvette D'Ath (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source
My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister outline to the House developments in the international economy and how the Australian government is taking decisive action to cushion Australia from the worst impacts of the global recession?
Leonard Matthews
Posted on 25 Mar 2009 4:55 pm
If the Member for Petrie is really interested in the international community and how it impacts on Australia? Perhaps she ought to ask her Prime Minister what guarantees Mr Rudd gave to the propaganda chief of the Chinese Communist Party, Li Changchun. Normally such a meeting would be big news; Ms DArth might ask her Prime Minister why he kept it so secret.
No doubt Mr Li, China's fifth most powerful man, would have sought assurance from Mr Rudd for his approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board on the $US19.5 billion ($28billion) deal between China's state-owned Chinalco and Australian- and London-listed mining group Rio Tinto. That deal is one of a flood of applications to the FIRB - including a $2.6 billion takeover of OZ Minerals by China's Minmetals - which will define the business relationship between the countries for a generation.
Ms DArth might also ask why the Chinese press was present and the Australian media ignored. What does Mr Rudd had to hide?
Len Matthews
Rothwell.