PM’s Solomons calls stay ‘national secret’
BARNABY Joyce has repeatedly declined to clarify how many times the Prime Minister called his Solomon Islands counterpart, claiming he risked jail time if he did so.
During an interview on Sunday, the Deputy PM insisted the information was a national security secret.
“I cannot confirm how many phone calls were made,” he told ABC’s Insiders. “As deputy chair of the National Security Committee, it comes with 15 years in jail if you start declaring what happens.”
The government is under pressure to explain why Scott Morrison did not personally speak with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in the days leading up to Mr Sogavare signing a landmark deal with China. Mr Morrison is said to have spoken to him only once in the past month.
Under the agreement, Chinese armed forces will be allowed to protect infrastructure less than 2000km off the Australian east coast.
It has sparked concerns Beijing could establish a naval base in the Pacific despite Solomon Islands assurances it would not.
The White House on Saturday confirmed it would expedite opening an embassy in the Solomon Islands.
Facing criticism from Labor for failing to put a pin in the deal, Defence Minister Peter Dutton on Sunday said the government could “never compete” with Beijing’s playbook.
“The Chinese don't play by our rules,” he said in relation to speculation China bribed the Solomons government.
“China’s incredibly aggressive. The acts of foreign interference, the preparedness to pay bribes to get outcomes, to beat other countries to get deals. That’s the reality of modern China.”
The Coalition has ramped up its attack on deputy Labor leader Richard Marles for providing the Chinese embassy with an advanced copy of a speech in which he criticised Beijing’s human rights record.
There were no changes made to the final version of the speech.
Mr Dutton claims Mr Marles had opened himself up to be swayed by China.
“It shows the culture within the Labor Party. It is not going to keep our country safe,” he said.
But Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong said giving the embassy a heads-up was the “right thing to do”.