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Australian mining magnate Clive Palmer, whose political party effectively holds the balance of power in the Senate, accused China of trying to take over the nation’s resources -- earning a rebuke from Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s government.
“They want to take over our ports and get our resources for free,” Palmer said on Australian Broadcasting Corp. television late yesterday. Palmer also labeled a unit of China’s state-owned Citic Pacific Ltd., his partner in the world’s biggest magnetite iron ore mine in Western Australia, as “mongrels”.
Abbott’s government attacked Palmer’s comments as “hugely damaging”, and stressed the importance of Australia’s relationship with its biggest trading partner. The Australian Industry Group condemned Palmer’s comments as “ill-considered and inappropriate.”
Palmer is embroiled in legal battles with Citic Pacific, which has alleged he used funds from a joint account to help finance his political campaign. His nascent Palmer United Party has three senators in Parliament’s upper house, making it an influential force that Abbott’s government must win over to pass legislation should it be opposed by Labor and the Greens.
On the ABC’s Q&A show last night, Palmer denied Citic’s allegations, calling them “Chinese mongrels.”
“I’m saying that because they are communists, they shoot their own people, they haven’t got a justice system and they want to take over this country,” Palmer said."
What a PR find. Clive has the knack of making enemies and influencing peoples. As a political stunt it looks to be worth a ton of gold but at a time when our economy is contracting, and as a politician elected to assist in governing this country, it seems that Sir Clive hasn't stuck his head out of his lofty quarters and seen the damage that such a selfish outburst can cause.
Sir Palmer's father must have had a crystal ball....you can see right though Clive.
