From the Sydney Morning Herald
by Nick McKenzie, Richard Baker, Chris Uhlmann
June 6, 2017
Ye Cheng, of
Landbridge, and then trade minister Andrew Robb in 2015.
Former Australian trade minister Andrew Robb walked straight out
of Parliament last year and into an $880,000-a-year job with a billionaire
closely aligned to the Chinese Communist Party and its key trade policy.
As part of the
"confidential" consultancy deal, Mr Robb, the architect of the
China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, began consulting to Ye Cheng the day
before the July 2 federal election last year.
The
arrangement, uncovered by a Fairfax Media-Four
Corners investigation, involves monthly payments of
$73,000 (including GST) to Mr Robb starting on July 1, 2016. Mr Robb had
announced months earlier he would not recontest his seat of Goldstein.
The details of the consultancy have never been disclosed by Mr
Ye or Mr Robb. Neither has the fact that Mr Robb is being used to spruik a
Chinese Communist Party-backed trade park as part of his consultancy agreement.
Mr Ye frames much
of his business activity, including the acquisition of the Port of Darwin
lease, in terms of advancing Beijing's ambitious global trade and
infrastructure project "One Belt, One Road"
The port's acquisition sparked a major controversy after then US
president Barack Obama complained he hadn't been forewarned. The Defence
Department and ASIO have vetted and cleared Landbridge's acquisition of the
port. But the director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Peter
Jennings, said the port deal might benefit Beijing's long-term strategic
interests, and not necessarily those of Australia.
Mr Ye publicly
announced on September 2 last year that Mr Robb had been appointed as a
"high-level economic consultant". At the time, Mr Robb had already
been working for Mr Ye for eight weeks, and had earned $146,000, including GST
but minus expenses.
Mr Robb is one of several senior former Australian politicians
who have been hired by or who hold roles funded by businesses or businessmen
closely aligned to the Chinese Communist Party.
The ethics code
for departing ministers bans them for a period of 18 months from lobbying
or advocating to the government or public service on any matters they
previously dealt with as a minister. They must also ensure their personal
conduct upholds the reputation of Parliament.
Mr Robb did not answer specific questions about his dealings
with Landbridge, but said in a statement: "I can confirm that I fully
understand my responsibilities as a former member of cabinet, and I can also
confirm that I have, at all times, acted in accordance with those
responsibilities."
Fairfax Media and Four Corners are not suggesting that Mr Robb has breached his obligations as
an ex-minister.
The trade
park being spruiked in Mr Robb's name is to be built in Rizhao, a thriving port
city between Beijing and Shanghai. It is backed by the Communist
Party-controlled Rizhao City Government in partnership with Mr Ye.
According to an official Chinese government statement, the park
is designed to capitalise on the China Australia Free Trade Agreement as well
as Mr Ye's purchase of the Darwin port. Mr Ye plans to build a second trade
park in Darwin.
In April 2016, less than three months before his consultancy
agreement began, Mr Robb visited China with an Australian delegation in his capacity
as Australia's trade envoy. The delegation was lobbied by Rizhao Communist
Party deputy secretary Liu Xingtai to support the trade park as part of a
"Two Countries, Two Parks" proposal.
"The proposal has been fully recognised and
highly affirmed by the Shandong Province Party Committee, the Provincial
Government and the Department of Commerce," the Chinese government
statement said.
The statement also said deputy secretary Liu had
met Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and NT Chief Minister Adam Giles on
April 14, 2016, and "proposed the co-operative model of Two Countries, Two
Parks".
Mr Ye placed Mr Robb on his payroll 10 weeks
later.
One of Mr Ye's companies later produced lobbying
material in Mr Robb's name in which the former trade minister described
the Rizhao trade park as a project that "advances the objectives in the
historic (CHAFTA) accord [that] I was honoured to play a significant role"
while trade minister.
"I encourage you to explore the Australia
Park in China… where partnerships and collaboration between these two great
nations will flourish for years to come," the statement in Mr Robb's name
said.
In March, Mr Robb and Mr Ye travelled together
to Sydney from China, where both attended a business and trade forum hosted by
the Australian government, as part of Premier Li Keqiang's visit.
In a November 2016 interview with the ABC,
Mr Robb said that "most of what he [Mr Ye] wants me for is because of my
knowledge of other countries and other governments. He's got a global strategy
for his company and he wants me to help him outside of Australia more than he
wants me to help him inside Australia."
The private agreement between Mr Robb and Mr Ye
contains no mention of Mr Robb's international knowledge and networks,
referring only to his role providing "consulting" and
"strategic" services.
Mr Robb has also been spruiking Rymill
Coonawarra, a South Australian winery in which Mr Ye has a financial interest.
Mr Ye's interest in the
winery is via his brother, Gang Ye. The mayor of Mount Gambier, Andrew Lee,
took a 10 per cent stake in the winery when it was acquired by the Ye family in
October 2016 for an undisclosed amount, estimated to be more than $20 million.
Citing legal advice, Mr Lee refused to say if he had paid any money for this
stake.
