Australia should threaten China with taking back Port of Darwin: Christensen

LNP MP George Christensen said when responding to the coronavirus, Communist China “corralled the problem for themselves, and sent (the virus) across the world”.

Mr Christensen has called China’s recent trade actions against Australia a “bastard act,” and said it was far “too convenient and too much of a coincidence” that only weeks after the government called for a global inquiry into COVID-19, for China to then threaten tariffs.

China has given the nation’s barley producers ten days before potentially imposing close to an 80 per cent tax on its barley imports.

“These are not the actions of a reputable trading partner”.

This comes as an ongoing committee into the need for diversification in Australia’s trade relationships – chaired by Mr Christensen – is preparing to call on the ambassador to give testimony.

“China’s got form on this sort of coercion when it comes to trade and mixing trade with politics".

Mr Christensen told Sky News hosts Alan Jones and Graham Richardson Australia should consider using the clause in the Port of Darwin lease contract with China which renders the deal null and void in the case of a national security emergency.

“If we don’t get the beef and barley back pronto and stop talking about other industries, we can actually take some action of our own, then it is a trade war”.