Katter labels Defence review of Port of Darwin lease laughable
30 December 2021
KENNEDY MP, Bob Katter, says it’s laughable that the Defence Department review has found there are no national security grounds sufficient to recommend the Federal Government overturn the 99-year lease of the Port of Darwin to Chinese company Landbridge.[1]
“Never in fifty years of my political life have I seen such a disconnect between what is happening and what should be happening,” Mr Katter said.
“It seems almost pointless to have an army if our potential adversary has control of the main doorway into Australia, the Port of Darwin. All we are getting is lip-service, will someone in the Federal Government stand up and act?
“China has been acting with extreme aggression throughout the Pacific. Just as recently as Christmas Eve, the Solomon Islands accepted Chinese Police and assets.[2] As the principal country in the South Pacific region, Australia has no rifles (thanks to the Liberal National Parties), all of our major industries are foreign owned, we have given all our defence information to a Chinese-owned company (Global Switch)[3], we have no missiles, and our most strategic deep-water port is also owned by a Chinese company.
“When we were headed to war with Indonesia (who have been wonderful neighbours since) we had more than 1.5 million semi-automatic rifles, now we have 35,000.”
Mr Katter said the Federal Government must immediately disregard the Defence Department and overturn the 99-year Port of Darwin lease.
“For the four millionth time, all economic, strategic assets should be owned by Australians. Obviously all defensively strategic assets should be Australian owned too,” Mr Katter said.
“At the very least, every boy should be doing cadets at school, and they should all have access to a semi-automatic rifle. They were kept in armouries when I was at school, and Charters Towers had five armouries.
“People think there’s no point in defending ourselves. To quote Churchill’s famous comment, ‘Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.’
“If people say Australia can’t defend itself because we are little, I say go and tell that to Israel. It’s not a problem for them. Tell the same thing to Switzerland. Every house has a semi-automatic rifle. Their neutrality is always respected. They have five million rifles so of course their neutrality is respected.
“History has shown us, from Alexander the Great to the 300 Spartans, just because you’re big doesn’t mean you’re going to win. Little England stood up against the might of the German war machine against all odds.”
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[1]
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/defence-ticks-chinese-lease-of-darwin-port/news-story/4aae7af9297d5979d9363fdcfdf124fc
[2] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-24/solomon-islands-accepts-chinese-offer-for-riot-police-help/100724296
[3] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-16/global-switch-deal-defence-data-security-files/13149592
