Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

This legislation would enable a minister to veto an existing arrangement. That's the first point. Second point: the Port of Darwin would not be within the remit of the legislation, because your advice is that it is with private entity. Third point: given the arrangements within China around the role of government and its engagement in the economy, does that change your view about whether or not the government could consider this lease to this private entity? Is that clear? It doesn't have a market economy. I know the Howard government said it did have a market economy. Obviously, the government has a much greater interest in, and capacity to influence, the behaviour of otherwise private companies than it does in Australia. Given that, does that change the government's view about its jurisdictional relation to the Port of Darwin?