Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Resources, Energy and Northern Australia. The ports, roads, rail and airports were built by the people as joint-user service facilities to create development. Is the government facilitating the Darwin Port sale thereby (1) profoundly inhibiting growth on half of Australia's coastline and (2) since the China FTA and TPP allow discretionary port charges and foreign job outsourcing, creating a foreign corporate, unrestrained, monopolistic money machine?

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Minister for Resources, Energy and Northern Australia) Share this | Link to 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—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Kennedy has asked his question.

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

Since you kindly asked me about northern Australia, let me say how excited the Turnbull government is about the opportunities in northern Australia—that part of Australia above the Tropic of Capricorn in Queensland and Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It has only five per cent of the Australian population but more than 40 per cent of the Australian land mass. Whether it is in the seat of the member for Herbert, the member for Durack or the member for Solomon, this government is absolutely committed to the development of northern Australia. In fact, we were the first government to create a white paper on this—

Mr Katter interjecting—

The member for Kennedy does not like the answer. We are committed to the development of northern Australia and the creation of many new jobs, whether it is at the port of Darwin or elsewhere. (Time expired)