Labor - Extra 1.2 Billion in Foreign Aid

[Black Orchid]

Cant say I disagree with anything there!

Trouble is both sides are as bad as each other

I cant believe the sell offs! Especially ports like Darwin and Newcastle (Largest coal port in Australia) to the bloody Chinese

Not to mention all the massive farming properties also owned by the Chinks!

Unfortunately I dont see the minor parties as a solution.

That's what the righties keep saying to you, Red, and have said all along.

[cods]

Cant say I disagree with anything there!

Trouble is both sides are as bad as each other

I cant believe the sell offs! Especially ports like Darwin and Newcastle (Largest coal port in Australia) to the bloody Chinese

Not to mention all the massive farming properties also owned by the Chinks!

Unfortunately I dont see the minor parties as a solution.

its basically impossible to sell off as you claim! our ports....rent MAYBE...but no they cannot pack them up and haul them back to China should they get the shits and want to leave..... ..you think you own hat bit of ground your home is perched on??.... think again sunshine...if the govt of the day wants to put a lightrail where your kitchen now is......THEY WILL...can you pick it all up and take it elsewhere NO YOU CANT...and neither can the Chinese..............I think you will find that any Embassy in any country will revert immediately to the home country if war is declared tomorrow......

all deals are off....... so no need to fret its just business.... think about it...

[Redneck]

Cant say I disagree with anything there!

Trouble is both sides are as bad as each other

I cant believe the sell offs! Especially ports like Darwin and Newcastle (Largest coal port in Australia) to the bloody Chinese

Not to mention all the massive farming properties also owned by the Chinks!

Unfortunately I dont see the minor parties as a solution.

its basically impossible to sell off as you claim! our ports....rent MAYBE...but no they cannot pack them up and haul them back to China should they get the shits and want to leave..... ..you think you own hat bit of ground your home is perched on??.... think again sunshine...if the govt of the day wants to put a lightrail where your kitchen now is......THEY WILL...can you pick it all up and take it elsewhere NO YOU CANT...and neither can the Chinese..............I think you will find that any Embassy in any country will revert immediately to the home country if war is declared tomorrow......

all deals are off....... so no need to fret its just business.... think about it...

I may have used the wrong term the ports may be leased for 99 years or something!

Anyway , I know what you mean but I see the ports as very important strategically especially Darwin for its location and shared bases with USA in that area. So that should have been a no no!

[Black Orchid]

I bet the Americans didn't make a move because they couldn't believe we would be so STUPID!

[Redneck]

I bet the Americans didn't make a move because they couldn't believe we would be so STUPID!

Totally agree on that one!

Although I guess they could spy on us just as much with their satellites in space and submarines etc in the south pacific!

[brian ross]

You lot are showing your Sinophobia again. As I keep explaining and I'm glad to see Cods has finally woken up to, as Sir Joh used to say about Japanese investment - they can't put it in their back pocket and take the land home with them. It is Australian land/ports/airports, all the Chinese are doing is investing money into them in the expectation they will get the profits back (after tax). They do not actually control the ports/airports/land, except commercially.

If war was to break out or if the Chinese were found to be up to something dodgy, the Australian Government would be quite right to resume the ownership of the airports/ports/land. Legally, all that would be required of them would be to provide compensation and that could be fought out in the courts, after the war/dispute is over with.

Embassies however, are different. Generally when a war breaks out, the Embassy is shut up and it's staff are dispatched home, usually via a separate neutral country. During WWII the Swedes did quite a good business, transporting embassy staff around the globe by ship. Their ships were protected under International Law because they were neutral. They could (in theory) call at any port and transport any goods/staff to and from warring states. The Embassy however physically remains under the ownership of the warring state until the war is over and the Embassy is re-opened. Occasionally, enemy Embassies will remain open, even during wartime. During the Iran-Iraq war, each nation allowed the enemy embassies to remain open. It allowed direct communications between Baghdad and Tehran. India and Pakistan are another two nations which have kept their respective embassies open in the opposition nation's capitals. It is just one of those funny things that make diplomacy work.