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Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton says he has not spoken to China's ambassador over growing tensions between the two nations over the coronavirus pandemic.
And those tensions have only increased after an editorial in a state media mouthpiece accusing Australia of pandering to China.
"We want transparency, questions to be answered about the origin and genesis of this virus so it doesn't happen again," Mr Dutton told Today on Wednesday morning.
"When you have a number of people killed not just in our country but across the world, families of loved ones demand answers. They need to know how it happened and be provided with reassurances that it won't happen next year or the year after."
"I think that is a reasonable ask. The Chinese Ambassador here can respond in any way he likes but that is not going to influence what we want out of this process.
"We want to make sure that this doesn't happen again."
Visitors wearing protective face mask as they sit in front a portrait of nationalist leader Sun Yat-sen in Tiananmen Square on April 28, 2020 in Beijing, China. Life in Beijing is slowly returning to normal following a city-wide lockdown on January 25 to contain the coronavirus outbreak. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
China has threatened to stop importing wine and beef from Australia if the Morrison government continues to push for an inquiry into the origin of the global coronavirus outbreak.
Mr Dutton said he hoped China's ambassador "can reflect on the comments he has made".
"We want to make sure that we continue to be a good trading partner with China but to be best of friends, even to be good friends, you have got to be honest with each other and we are honest in the relationship."
Mr Dutton said he didn't expect the stoush to have an effect on Australian exports to China.
"I think people would be quite amazed and incredibly disappointed if that was the direction of the Chinese government," he added.
Tensions have increased further after Beijing accused Scott Morrison of using the stoush to 'deflect' public criticism away from his handling of COVID-19.
State media outlet, The People's Daily, published a strongly-worded editorial accusing the Australian government, the AFR reports.
"The deeply troubled Morrison government is anxious to find an outlet for the domestic public's anger," said the article.
"They are using an old trick to try and blame China. Australia is trying to please the United States and be a bully in the region."
Schools 'sweetener'
Mr Dutton also rejected suggestions the Federal Government is bribing private schools to reopen classrooms with a $3 billion sweetener.
The Federal Government initiative is aiming to bring back face to face classroom learning, offering a 25 per cent advance on next year's funding, if half of students are back by June 1.
"We want to make sure they are not falling behind in their literacy and numeracy rates," Mr Dutton said.
"Parents want their kids back to school. We fund the private schools directly. We give enormous amounts of money to the state government to run their state schools, but ultimately they own and run them.
"But we are the biggest funder for the private schools. We are saying if we are giving you that money we expect kids to be taught."
In NSW, students return to online learning today while the Victorian government is not budging on its decision not to reopen schools until Term 3.
https://www.9news.com.au/national/p...on-offer/e3167d4e-146b-41c8-850b-b62b013eb4bb
And those tensions have only increased after an editorial in a state media mouthpiece accusing Australia of pandering to China.
"We want transparency, questions to be answered about the origin and genesis of this virus so it doesn't happen again," Mr Dutton told Today on Wednesday morning.
"When you have a number of people killed not just in our country but across the world, families of loved ones demand answers. They need to know how it happened and be provided with reassurances that it won't happen next year or the year after."
"I think that is a reasonable ask. The Chinese Ambassador here can respond in any way he likes but that is not going to influence what we want out of this process.
"We want to make sure that this doesn't happen again."
Visitors wearing protective face mask as they sit in front a portrait of nationalist leader Sun Yat-sen in Tiananmen Square on April 28, 2020 in Beijing, China. Life in Beijing is slowly returning to normal following a city-wide lockdown on January 25 to contain the coronavirus outbreak. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
China has threatened to stop importing wine and beef from Australia if the Morrison government continues to push for an inquiry into the origin of the global coronavirus outbreak.
Mr Dutton said he hoped China's ambassador "can reflect on the comments he has made".
"We want to make sure that we continue to be a good trading partner with China but to be best of friends, even to be good friends, you have got to be honest with each other and we are honest in the relationship."
Mr Dutton said he didn't expect the stoush to have an effect on Australian exports to China.
"I think people would be quite amazed and incredibly disappointed if that was the direction of the Chinese government," he added.
Tensions have increased further after Beijing accused Scott Morrison of using the stoush to 'deflect' public criticism away from his handling of COVID-19.
State media outlet, The People's Daily, published a strongly-worded editorial accusing the Australian government, the AFR reports.
"The deeply troubled Morrison government is anxious to find an outlet for the domestic public's anger," said the article.
"They are using an old trick to try and blame China. Australia is trying to please the United States and be a bully in the region."
Schools 'sweetener'
Mr Dutton also rejected suggestions the Federal Government is bribing private schools to reopen classrooms with a $3 billion sweetener.
The Federal Government initiative is aiming to bring back face to face classroom learning, offering a 25 per cent advance on next year's funding, if half of students are back by June 1.
"We want to make sure they are not falling behind in their literacy and numeracy rates," Mr Dutton said.
"Parents want their kids back to school. We fund the private schools directly. We give enormous amounts of money to the state government to run their state schools, but ultimately they own and run them.
"But we are the biggest funder for the private schools. We are saying if we are giving you that money we expect kids to be taught."
In NSW, students return to online learning today while the Victorian government is not budging on its decision not to reopen schools until Term 3.
https://www.9news.com.au/national/p...on-offer/e3167d4e-146b-41c8-850b-b62b013eb4bb
