Wobbles: "I'd be more concerned by the fact that Optus has the contract for communications in Parliament House and that's owned by the Singapore government."

Yet, it appears that some would remain unconcerned should Optus be sold to the Chinese government.

Rhian: "why on earth would you want the Australian Government to invest taxpayers' money in running ompanies overseas?"

That is the last thing I would want. The Australian Govt has a poor record in "investing" our money in Australia, let alone overseas. Witness the BER construction wastage, the $10 billion it is squandering on socalled clean energy projects, and over $40 billion that it is sinking into the NBN project, which is running way behind schedule and appears certain to run way over budget.

Curmudgeon
Please tell us which laws apply to the new owners of Cubbie in respect to water.

Cubbie Station may only be a tenuous cotton producing enterprise to some, but may also be a potentially large food producing capability to others - in the right seasons, and where demand is appropriate. As with so many other enterprise possibilities, Oz may be relied upon to take a narrow short-term view - while others plan for the next millennium and beyond. Will we ever learn?

Imagine Cubbie down the track with a massive nearby solar concentrator facility providing electricity for a moderate fully self-sufficient satellite city. A space odyssey, or a real and worthwhile possibility?

When you sell the farm you throw away so many possibilities, and leave yourself dependent on the goodwill of others. Taken to an extreme this can only become a very hazardous and potentially precipitous position. But then, we're only talking about one little station aren't we - until the next, and the next.

Good on Barnaby for standing on principle, we could do with a lot more of such fibre and tenacity in our political leaders. As for the Nats breaking with the Libs, I think it would be preferable if the Nats remained in the Coalition but could negotiate a more equitable representation by both demanding greater recognition for their role in enabling the Coalition to ever form government and by contesting a greater number of seats in appropriate electorates - and the next federal election would be a good place to start on such a revisionary arrangement.