Post by NFA on Jun 16, 2020 21:34:01 GMT 8
Several lifetimes ago I happened to be in deep discussion in ‘Cambra’ with “An Economist” who worked in the deep bowels of Treasury who was part of the team that put together the annual ‘budget’ figures. What a joke that is.
At the end of many revealing comments my question was, “Why don’t we outsource the Public Service overseas?”.
China Matters: How to Buy Friends and Influence Policy
Mervyn Bendle
quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2020/06/china-matters-how-to-buy-friends-and-influence-policy/
At the end of many revealing comments my question was, “Why don’t we outsource the Public Service overseas?”.
Lo and behold they listened.
Mr Bendle references too many links to Australian Scum that I refuse to put up here but if you want to know ‘where’s your belt and road baby’ read the whole thing.
China Matters: How to Buy Friends and Influence Policy
Mervyn Bendle
quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2020/06/china-matters-how-to-buy-friends-and-influence-policy/
Just how deep and widespread is the influence in Australia of the Chinese Communist Party? This question has become even more acute with revelations about a major lobby group, China Matters, the board and associates of which boast a large number of highly prominent political, corporate, bureaucratic and academic leaders.
Equally important is the question of any double standards in the application of the Foreign Interest Transparency Scheme used notoriously in 2019 against Tony Abbott and a small conservative group.
A China think tank gifted $2 million by the taxpayer and backed by some of Australia’s most senior business leaders, diplomats and academics has had its [federal government] funding cut after concerns it was lobbying against Australia. — Sunday Herald-Sun (14/6/20)
China Matters is an organization fostered by some of Australia’s most senior bureaucrats, business leaders, academics, and diplomats. Nearly half of all its funding comes from taxpayer-funded government grants. However, it has reportedly fallen from favour in Canberra over concerns it was using these funds to boost Beijing’s agenda of global economic and political domination. The group’s latest financial statement, for 2019, can be viewed here.
At a time of unprecedented tension between China and Australia questions arise about the role played by such organizations as China Matters. Transparency about foreign influence has become crucial and it was to ensure this that the Foreign Interest Transparency Scheme was implemented in 2018. Its purpose is to provide the public and government decision-makers with visibility of the nature, level and extent of foreign influence on Australia’s government and political process.
The scheme is administered by the Attorney-General’s Department. It is notable therefore that, as the Sunday Herald-Sun reports,
a senior bureaucrat from the Attorney-General’s Department who administers the Foreign Interest Transparency Scheme has attended several China Matters events as a guest.
This person is Sarah Chidgey, who is pictured in the Sunday Herald-Sun as one of large group at a China Matters function. Chidgey is Deputy Secretary for the Integrity and International Group in the Attorney-General’s Department. She is responsible for a wide range of integrity, security, criminal justice, intelligence legislation, international law and international cooperation matters.
Indeed, as the paper reports, “She is the bureaucrat who wrote to former Prime Minister Tony Abbott asking him to register as an agent of foreign interest due to a speech he gave at a conservative political conference.”
Abbott had come to her attention after Labor’s Senator Kristina Keneally publicly suggested that conservative politicians who spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference would be condoning the views of everyone there, including the ‘alt-right’, a conservative movement demonised by the left.
Equally important is the question of any double standards in the application of the Foreign Interest Transparency Scheme used notoriously in 2019 against Tony Abbott and a small conservative group.
A China think tank gifted $2 million by the taxpayer and backed by some of Australia’s most senior business leaders, diplomats and academics has had its [federal government] funding cut after concerns it was lobbying against Australia. — Sunday Herald-Sun (14/6/20)
China Matters is an organization fostered by some of Australia’s most senior bureaucrats, business leaders, academics, and diplomats. Nearly half of all its funding comes from taxpayer-funded government grants. However, it has reportedly fallen from favour in Canberra over concerns it was using these funds to boost Beijing’s agenda of global economic and political domination. The group’s latest financial statement, for 2019, can be viewed here.
At a time of unprecedented tension between China and Australia questions arise about the role played by such organizations as China Matters. Transparency about foreign influence has become crucial and it was to ensure this that the Foreign Interest Transparency Scheme was implemented in 2018. Its purpose is to provide the public and government decision-makers with visibility of the nature, level and extent of foreign influence on Australia’s government and political process.
The scheme is administered by the Attorney-General’s Department. It is notable therefore that, as the Sunday Herald-Sun reports,
a senior bureaucrat from the Attorney-General’s Department who administers the Foreign Interest Transparency Scheme has attended several China Matters events as a guest.
This person is Sarah Chidgey, who is pictured in the Sunday Herald-Sun as one of large group at a China Matters function. Chidgey is Deputy Secretary for the Integrity and International Group in the Attorney-General’s Department. She is responsible for a wide range of integrity, security, criminal justice, intelligence legislation, international law and international cooperation matters.
Indeed, as the paper reports, “She is the bureaucrat who wrote to former Prime Minister Tony Abbott asking him to register as an agent of foreign interest due to a speech he gave at a conservative political conference.”
Abbott had come to her attention after Labor’s Senator Kristina Keneally publicly suggested that conservative politicians who spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference would be condoning the views of everyone there, including the ‘alt-right’, a conservative movement demonised by the left.
