Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Minister for Resources, Energy and Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Kennedy for his question, because I was waiting for a question for more than 300 days from the member for Fraser and the member for Brand but they did not have a question in them. I thank the member for Kennedy for his question.

He asks an important question about the port of Darwin. As he knows, the Northern Territory government conducted an open, transparent process which ended in the 99-year lease of that port for a record amount of over $500 million. There were more than 30 parties that registered their interest. What won this tender? We went through all the normal processes. What won this process was the fact that one group was prepared to invest more than $200 million in the development of the port. That means more jobs in the member for Solomon's seat in the Northern Territory. It means a greater ability for northern Australia, including Darwin, to export into China and other economies in Asia.

As for the TPP and the China FTA, as the member knows, there have been no changes to the existing protection for Australian—

Mr Katter interjecting—

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