“Mr Rudd should leave the G8, for which he is not actually a member, and get back to work rather than be outraged that people in the Australian political dynamic are expressing their democratic right stating the bleeding obvious regarding the arrest of the Australian Rio Tinto executive Mr Stern Hu. This is not just my view but was ably displayed last night on Lateline by Mr Will Hutton, former editor in Chief of Britains Observer newspaper and noted author on Chinese affairs”, according to Senator Barnaby Joyce.

“Mr Rudd, in prescribing the views that can be expressed, is diminishing our right of free speech. It’s apparently politically incorrect to say anything about China in the manner in which we would speak about other countries such as New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Germany, India and the United States.”

“Mr Rudd and others in the Labor Party, along with others, appear to believe in an implicit rule book where you can say certain things to certain countries but not to others” says Senator Joyce.

“Mr Rudd should use his often displayed and able talents in mandarin to convey Australia’s perspective regarding citizens who are arrested on espionage charges. He may wish to reflect on what the Chinese Government would think if the same actions were taken against one of their Chinese directors here in Australia.”

“In 2009, we should not have to worry that robust negotiations are deemed to be espionage when the cards don’t fall as one of the players may well have wished.”

“The situation regarding Mr Hu’s arrest throws clear light on the current discussions in the Foreign Investment Review Board inquiry pertaining to State owned entities and as such a close perusal of the inquiry’s recent transcripts makes for interesting reading.”

“We have to realise that state owned entities in the Communist People’s Republic of China are merely arms of the Chinese Government and any romantic assertions that bring you financial benefit by disregarding this fact, leads to the situation which we see at the moment in relation to the arrest of Mr Hu in Shanghai.”

“China is a great trading partner, but ownership of assets inside Australia’s borders by the Chinese Government is not a good outcome for our Nation.”

“It is quite clear, in regard to the Rio - Chinalco bid and the AusMinerals - Minmetals deal,  that Mr Rudd and Mr Swan either didn’t have the fortitude to stand up for what’s evidently going to cause a problem diplomatically or they themselves have been put under pressure to shut up”, Senator Joyce says.       

“I find it peculiar when the Australian right of free speech and advocacy are termed to be outrageous and that the wise approach for Australia, in the political sphere, is apparently to give greater prominence to commercial consequences over our expected role of advocacy”, says Senator Joyce.

“We should not let our Australian right of free speech be impeded or calibrated by reason of who you are referring to.”

“If you believe something is right we should say it and if our actions are impeded by the possible consequences of whom we are referring to, then that should be the highest recommendation that should ever be given in highlighting caution in who we are dealing with.“

“We should be vigilant about any body to which we have to temper all statements and ask ourselves how closely we wish ourselves to be enmeshed in that Government’s ownership of our nation’s assets.”