Morrison swims in a swamp of US influence peddlers. But who does he speak for? ( David Hardaker for Crikey)
The former prime minister's speech went down very well with libertarian US policy centre the Hudson Institute, home to Morrison's great pal, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo.
Pompeo
and Morrison have enjoyed a close personal relationship based on their
shared religious beliefs — both are committed Pentecostal Christians.
The
Pompeo-Morrison relationship only truly broke cover at the end of last
year when Pompeo invited Morrison to join him on the advisory board of
Hudson’s newly created China Centre.
Who is Scott Morrison speaking for when he recently raised the idea of Magnitsky-style sanctions to punish Chinese business and political figures? ( Something he never did )
The
Hudson Institute has become a new home for Morrison and a springboard
to international relevance — sorely needed given the state of his
relations in Australia and within his own party.
The
Hudson Institute is an influence-peddling organisation par excellence.
It receives financial backing from a number of US weapons manufacturers,
including Huntington Ingalls Industries, which builds nuclear
submarines for the US Navy. It has close ties with Taiwan, which has
reportedly provided financial backing to the institute. The country’s
president, Tsai Ing-wen, sent official congratulations to Hudson on its
60th anniversary in 2021. The institute declares that it has received
donations from Japanese government-linked organisations
The
institute also lists News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch as a major donor, who
also has a seat on Hudson’s chairman’s advisory board. Former prime
minister Tony Abbott has had a cameo role: he was part of a Hudson panel
that kicked around the implications of the AUKUS agreement in 2021.
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The ebullience with which Qantas chief Alan Joyce announced the airline’s record half year pre-tax profit of $1.4 billion, underscored the jarring disconnect now at play in the company. Michael Sainsbury reports.
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