The Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb must break his silence on the convoluted layers of red tape the Abbott Government has imposed on foreign investment in Australia.
Over recent weeks the Government has announced a raft of new barriers and costs for international investors seeking to grow businesses and create jobs in Australia.
It has introduced a complex regime of differential and discriminatory thresholds for Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) screening of proposed investments in Australia.
It has singled out agriculture and agribusiness sectors which need foreign capital to take advantage of growth opportunities in our region in coming years with additional layers of red tape.
And in last weeks Budget, the Government imposed $735 million in new charges for investors lodging FIRB applications.
The Abbott Governments new rules on investment screening thresholds, fees, charges and penalties for investors run to seven pages of bureaucratic red tape.
They contain 22 different screening thresholds and categories, which vary depending on the value and type of investment and on the nationality of the investor, and 33 different levels and categories of application fees, ranging from $5000 to $100,000.
This Minister for Investment has presided over changes that will only make Australia less attractive as an investment destination.
Mr Robb needs to explain why a Government that trumpets red tape repeal and claims that Australia is open for business is creating impediments to inward investment.