VICTORIA’S MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is now warning Australians that they're at risk of "arbitrary detention" if they travel to mainland China, as Beijing had detained foreigners for allegedly “endangering national security.”
Premier Daniel Andrews remains unwilling to review, revoke or display any regret over his Memorandum of Understanding with the Chinese Communist Party over the Belt and Road Initiative agreement, despite contrary advice from federal departments and the Chinese regime’s ongoing human rights abuses, most recently in Hong Kong.
Instead, Mr Andrews says “we have a relationship with China that I think is very important.”
Western Victoria MP Bev McArthur said “If the Premier is so insistent on indulging himself in federal government foreign affairs responsibilities, then he should let Victorians know what his positions are on other foreign matters relating to the Chinese Government, such as the Federal Government’s advised risk of them arbitrarily detaining Australian citizens, the internment of the Uyghurs in concentrations camps and now the banning of library books about democracy in Hong Kong.
“The second wave of COVID-19 is a convenient distraction for the Premier, who only a few weeks ago appeared under significant media and internal pressure to ditch the agreement with this communist dictatorship.”
“Six weeks of lockdown should give the Premier plenty of time to come clean about why he still employs a staffer linked to high levels of an intelligence-gathering Chinese department who also spreads conspiracy theories that our American allies created COVID-19, and why Victoria is still a part of the BRI.”
“Mr Andrews wouldn’t want to end up like his NSW Labor compatriot, Mr Moselmane MP.”
"Last time I checked you couldn't hold both offices of Chinese Consul General and Premier of Victoria."
8 July 2020