Darwin Lord Mayor Peter Styles says council has an “obligation” to private Darwin businesses to “open doors for them” in China, which is why it’s necessary for him, council chief executive Simone Saunders and two other staffers to charge ratepayers an undisclosed amount for a trade mission to Guangzhou in December that he also confusingly said on Tuesday is “not necessarily [about] trade”.
The NT Independent first revealed the trip last week, that has also raised potential conflicts of interest with Mr Styles’ personal business interests, which have still not been addressed.
Ladies and Gentlemen
What Business Investment from China is coming to the corrupt backwater of the NT????
The latest headlines in China in the last 72 hours:
-Chinas Banking Institutions reduce by 1/4 over last 4 years, sparking fears of potential Banking Crisis!
-Chinese Mutual Funds shutting down at fastest pace in the last 8 years! 256 Funds liquated in Sept 26.
-Chinas Industrial Firms Profits increase only by 4.2%, down from 11.2% the year earlier.
-House sales drop 86% prompting Government assistance to property buyers
-Japanese companies abandoning China at record pace. Low demand and US tariffs to blame. Japanese firm have been leaving for years.
-Chinas best European ally, Germany, now joins France in calling for Stronger Trade Defences against China.
-Britain preparing to impose import levy on Chinese EV Vehicles
-Chinas highly subsidised technical advancements in AI and EV’s fail to translate to improving living standards
-Chinas retail sales dropped by 0.4%, USA retails sails increase by 2.6%
-China Global Tax Crackdown on companies and overseas assets
Wait did not the previous Lord Mayor also think he was a world statesman and actually hired staff for China Investment Attraction which involved flights to China for aforementioned Lord Mayor??
There is a small NTG Business unit, on the Esplanade, also doing this work!!
There are 190 other countries! Some are even nearby!