Via The Australian:
Malcolm Turnbull sought assurances that former trade minister Andrew Robb had not breached ministerial standards after taking a job with China’s Landbridge.
…Mr Robb reportedly took a consulting role with Landbridge from July 1, a day before last year’s election. The government says he was not paid as an MP after May.
Rules allowing a territory government to unilaterally lease the port without foreign investment approval were changed after the Landbridge controversy, which upset Washington.
Defence and other authorities consulted on the deal stand by their assessment that it was not a threat to national security.
…Mr Turnbull said he had asked the head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet head Martin Parkinson about the issue. Dr Parkinson had quizzed Mr Robb on February 28 and May 31 about whether he had upheld the standards.
Former ministers are covered by a code of conduct laid out by Mr Turnbull, which says ministers should not lobby, advocate or have meetings with members of the government or public service for 18 months on matters they have dealt with in office.
How did he get the job 30 days after leaving then? Did it fall from the sky unlooked for, immaculately conceived, innocent of all intention and swept into the embrace of the Landbridge angel like a sleeping babe in the rushes?
Then again, perhaps Andrew is just a “frenemy“:
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull labelled China a “frenemy” of Australia in unscripted remarks that showed his hardening attitude towards Beijing, a revelation that could further complicate Canberra’s already difficult relationship with its largest trading partner.
Mr Turnbull made the remarks at a public event in Sydney last October, signalling his growing frustration with Beijing’s militarisation of disputed islands in the South China Sea and its cyber-hacking of Australian institutions.
“You mean our frenemy,” Mr Turnbull said when the subject of China came up over pre-dinner drinks at the function.
How about, like, asking him to resign instead.
