Commenced through their proxy in Solomons (pop ~700k vs China 1.45Bn) – knowing that Labor would not be “bi-partisan” – and that Govt would be unable to defend itself in the pressures of the campaign and against our dominant Green/Left media. Now China hardly lets ink dry on the Green/Labor election win and they are on their multi-archipelago Pacific “signing up bilateral agreements” with up to 10 Island Nations which they hope will make vast areas of the Pacific a Chinese lake.
Now China has a more user friendly Govt for their Southern Quarry we can look forward to more overt signs of increased Chinese penetration here.

Further to my blog in mid-March & comments.
April has seen AEMO wholesale prices blast off – click for annotated chart of 9 years of monthly wholesale AEMO prices and I am thinking global thermal coal prices have to be playing a big part. Click for chart of global thermal coal prices.
It will be fascinating to listen to mostly rubbish about electricity prices in the count down to election.