Christensen, Katter team up to ‘reclaim’ Port of Darwin from ‘grips of CCP’

Controversial Queensland MP George Christensen has thrown his support behind Bob Katter in a bid to “take back” the Port of Darwin from China and “protect Australian sovereignty”.

Speaking to 2GB on Wednesday morning, the retiring Dawson MP said he was calling on the Australian Government to release the Port of Darwin from Chinese ownership “as a matter of urgency, in the interests of national security and sovereignty”.

The Port is currently leased to Chinese company Landbridge for 99 years, but Mr Christensen has seconded a parliamentary motion by Mr Katter to force the government to immediately sell the “strategic asset” to an Australian company.

Camera Icon Dawson MP George Christensen said he wanted to see strategic Australian assets, like the Port of Darwin, out of the hands of China. Heidi Petith Credit: News Regional Media

“We want to see the Port of Darwin, and quite frankly every other bit of strategic asset and infrastructure across the country in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party or their minions, back under Australian control,” Mr Christensen said.

“That is the aim of this motion we’re putting forward. I note we are doing a review into the ownership of the Port at the moment, so that’s a very good move.

“I think there’s a lot of people on both sides of the political aisle concerned about the ownership of the Port. We’ve got to get the motion debated.”

Mr Christensen said the motion was currently before the hands of a selection committee, but he hoped it would be put up for a parliamentary debate.

Camera Icon The motion had initially been moved by Bob Katter. NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia

“It’s a bit unusual for a government MP to move for something Bob Katter put up, but his motion makes sense,” Mr Christensen said.

“We’ve got to prioritise Australia’s sovereignty and strategic interests, and we’ve got to take steps to force the immediate sale of that port to an Australian owned company … (We’ve got to) get it back in Australian hands to serve our national interests, not the Chinese Communist Party’s interests.”

Mr Christensen has launched a petition on his website, which he says has already garnered “tens of thousands” of responses.

“We need to fix this as soon as possible,” he said.

Mr Christensen said the ACCC investigation into the Port of Newcastle, which is part owned by a company with “links to the CCP”, was reassuring.

“To put such an asset, to put the export of resources that mean so much to your state and the country into the hands of a foreign regime that has done so much harm to this nation already, you’re asking for trouble,” he said.