00:01A political heavyweight flexing a multi-million dollar investment into Australia's northern
00:07defence estate.
00:10Defence Minister Richard Miles touring newly refurbished facilities at the Larrakia barracks,
00:16but despite progress at the base, a dispute over one of Darwin's most significant assets
00:22remains at a standstill.
00:24We are seeking to work this through.
00:26Darwin Port, the subject of international legal action after Chinese-owned company Landbridge,
00:32launched a lawsuit in May in an attempt to stop the federal government from stripping
00:37it of the asset.
00:39We've sought to do this in private and to do this in a respectful way.
00:43Obviously we're disappointed about the steps that have been taken.
00:46We will do everything in our power to defend that matter, but we'll continue to talk with
00:52Landbridge to try and resolve this.
00:55Landbridge is arguing the government's move is discriminatory and breaks Australia's obligations
01:01under its Free Trade Pact with Beijing.
01:04Today the Defence Minister reiterated the government's commitment to return the port to Australian
01:09hands, but wouldn't say whether they've found a buyer.
01:13It's clearly a complicated challenge.
01:16We would have preferred that this had never happened.
01:19A complicated challenge going nowhere fast.
01:22I'll sit next to Ash eastern Council.
01:23що
01:23You
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