The Australian government’s decision to finance Telstra’s takeover of the Pacific’s biggest telecommunications provider, Digicel, via a $1.33 billion loan from Export Finance Australia, is the clearest indication yet that competing with China is changing government-firm relations in Australia in profound and potentially lasting ways.
Australia has long been one of the world’s staunchest exponents of the doctrine of “free market” liberalism, manifesting in governmental support for trade liberalisation and market competition. Whereas other countries have paid lip-service to these ideas but continued to support national firms at home and abroad in various tacit ways, the Australian government has generally let Australian firms operate internationally with very little government guidance and support.
Australia and Digicel: Hands-off no more? | The Interpreter (lowyinstitute.org)
