A senior Australian politician is attempting to stir up public opposition to Chinalco's planned $19.5bn investment in Rio Tinto, the Anglo-Australian mining group, by appearing in two privately-funded television adverts.
Barnaby Joyce, leader of the opposition National party in Australia's upper house, the Senate, said in one advert aired last night, entitled “Keep Australia Australian”, that he is worried the country's “source of wealth” is being bought by a foreign government.
Mr Joyce said: “The Australian government would never be allowed to buy a mine in China, so why would we allow the Chinese to buy and control a key strategic asset in Australia.”