Much of the best of Australia is ‘already owned’ by Chinese interests: Alan Jones

Sky News host Alan Jones says the prime minister now wants to focus on national interest after much of the best of Australia is already owned by Chinese interests.

“Does it matter, therefore, who runs the country, if you don’t own the place?” he said.

On Thursday the Prime Minister announced new foreign policy legislation which will give him the power to knock back deals by state governments which threaten Australian sovereignty.

“Where any foreign government seeks to undermine the sovereignty of Australia's foreign policy by seeking to do deals with subnational governments, Australia needs to protect itself from that,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Jones said although targeting the activities highlighted in the bill is important, there are longstanding foreign ownership issues that are not addressed.

“But I compile a list as long as my arm, of foreign ownership that has been signed off when Scott Morrison was Treasurer,” he said.

“Chinese interests own over 30% of Australian foreign owned farmland. All the dairy farms in Tasmania. Beef farms, avocado farms, water, coal, iron ore, they want to get a hold of our energy down the whole Eastern seaboard.

“This was all approved by the Foreign Investment Review Board when Scott Morrison was Treasurer.

“A Chinese energy and infrastructure group has a 99-year lease on the port of Darwin, for next to nothing, $506 million. And now we are going to act in the national interest.

“Spare me the humbug. The horse has bolted.”

Image: AP

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