Gina Rinehart, World's Richest Woman: Australia Is Too Expensive For Mining, Africans Will 'Work For Less Than $2 Per Day'
source: news.com.au
<IFRAME height=365 marginHeight=0 src="http://video.news.com.au/embed/2275891362/Australia-too-expensive-says-Rinehart?player=narrow" frameBorder=0 width=330 marginWidth=0 scrolling=no>VIDEO: Australia too expensive, says Rinehart
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PRIME Minister Julia Gillard and Greens leader Christine Milne have personally attacked Gina Rinehart, the world's richest woman, after saying Australia is too expensive for companies to do business.
Ms Gillard said Australia will not compete on wage rates compared to Africa but we have other advantages and mining investment is strong.
Her comments came after Ms Rinehart urged Australia to become more competitive, warning Africa is a cheaper investment option with workers willing to take jobs for less than $2 per day.
"We are not going to have wage rates the same as the wage rates in Africa,'' Ms Gillard told ABC radio today.
"We mine differently than in other countries.''
Greens leader Christine Milne calls Rinehart greedy
Australian Greens leader Christine Milne accused Ms Rinehart of being greedy.
"Gina Rinehart really is the epitome of the greed and the abuse of the environment that has become such a characteristic of the mining industry in Australia,'' she told reporters in Hobart.
<!-- story-related story-sidebar -->"Look what you're getting - a wealthy woman who tells other people that they should drink less, smoke less, work harder, get paid less, failing to recall of course that her father left her millions to start with.''
Senator Milne said Ms Rinehart's ideas were an absolute disgrace.
"It is as if she thinks the whole country is there to be dug up, smashed and shipped away at slave labour rates,'' she added.
What exactly did Gina Rinehart say
In a 10-minute video posted on the Sydney Mining Club website, Ms Rinehart said despite wanting to create sustainable jobs in Australia, she and others are being forced to “make a different” choice.
“People who know what it is to hire people…understand better than most what could prevent them from doing so,” she said.
Overseas competitors, such as in Africa, can offer much cheaper investment opportunities, she said.
"Furthermore, Africans want to work and its workers are willing to work for less than $2 per day,'' Ms Rinehart says in the video.
"Such statistics make me worry for this country's future.''
Hitting out at the government, the world’s richest woman said our grossly in debt nation will be hurt “as the self-interested complaints of a greedy few is now becoming the accepted truth and more ominously is showing up in incontrovertible data.”
Companies in WA are investing in low-cost highly resourced Africa as businesses need to sell their product on the world market and not at Australian prices.
Australia is slipping down the ranks of global competitiveness due to the carbon tax, red tape, new and increasing taxes and infrastructure that lags well behind the world’s best, she said.
“Small business, the backbone of Australia, are the ones most hurt by the cost and delays of this,” she said.
“Those Mum and Dads who employ one or more other people, mortgaging their homes, forgo holidays and working long hours to stay in business and cope.”
Ms Gillard said Ms Rinehart was a ``well-known opponent'' of the mining and carbon taxes but the prime minister disagreed on both points.
She said Australia would continue to have strong investment in mining projects.
"We've seen billions of dollars of new projects announced by the mining industry since they knew that there was going to be a minerals resource rent tax and since they knew that there was going to be carbon pricing,'' she said.
"We're going to compete on our great mineral deposits, our application of technology and high skills to the task.''
More from Prime Minister Gillard
Ms Gillard acknowledged some companies had paused or delayed plans - such as Fortescue, which announced on Tuesday it would shelve $1.57 billion of expansion plans and cut hundreds of jobs.
"But the mining sector, the resources sector is far bigger than any one company,'' she said.
Ms Rinehart's video follows a column in which she called on her critics to get out of the pub and work harder.
The controversial mining magnate also attacked Australia's "class warfare" and insisted it is billionaires such as herself who are doing more than anyone to help the poor by investing their money and creating jobs.
Mrs Rinehart also suggested the government should lower the minimum wage of $606.40 per week and cut taxes to stimulate employment.
source: news.com.au
<IFRAME height=365 marginHeight=0 src="http://video.news.com.au/embed/2275891362/Australia-too-expensive-says-Rinehart?player=narrow" frameBorder=0 width=330 marginWidth=0 scrolling=no>VIDEO: Australia too expensive, says Rinehart
</IFRAME>
PRIME Minister Julia Gillard and Greens leader Christine Milne have personally attacked Gina Rinehart, the world's richest woman, after saying Australia is too expensive for companies to do business.
Ms Gillard said Australia will not compete on wage rates compared to Africa but we have other advantages and mining investment is strong.
Her comments came after Ms Rinehart urged Australia to become more competitive, warning Africa is a cheaper investment option with workers willing to take jobs for less than $2 per day.
"We are not going to have wage rates the same as the wage rates in Africa,'' Ms Gillard told ABC radio today.
"We mine differently than in other countries.''
Greens leader Christine Milne calls Rinehart greedy
Australian Greens leader Christine Milne accused Ms Rinehart of being greedy.
"Gina Rinehart really is the epitome of the greed and the abuse of the environment that has become such a characteristic of the mining industry in Australia,'' she told reporters in Hobart.
<!-- story-related story-sidebar -->"Look what you're getting - a wealthy woman who tells other people that they should drink less, smoke less, work harder, get paid less, failing to recall of course that her father left her millions to start with.''
Senator Milne said Ms Rinehart's ideas were an absolute disgrace.
"It is as if she thinks the whole country is there to be dug up, smashed and shipped away at slave labour rates,'' she added.
What exactly did Gina Rinehart say
In a 10-minute video posted on the Sydney Mining Club website, Ms Rinehart said despite wanting to create sustainable jobs in Australia, she and others are being forced to “make a different” choice.
“People who know what it is to hire people…understand better than most what could prevent them from doing so,” she said.
Overseas competitors, such as in Africa, can offer much cheaper investment opportunities, she said.
"Furthermore, Africans want to work and its workers are willing to work for less than $2 per day,'' Ms Rinehart says in the video.
"Such statistics make me worry for this country's future.''
Hitting out at the government, the world’s richest woman said our grossly in debt nation will be hurt “as the self-interested complaints of a greedy few is now becoming the accepted truth and more ominously is showing up in incontrovertible data.”
Companies in WA are investing in low-cost highly resourced Africa as businesses need to sell their product on the world market and not at Australian prices.
Australia is slipping down the ranks of global competitiveness due to the carbon tax, red tape, new and increasing taxes and infrastructure that lags well behind the world’s best, she said.
“Small business, the backbone of Australia, are the ones most hurt by the cost and delays of this,” she said.
“Those Mum and Dads who employ one or more other people, mortgaging their homes, forgo holidays and working long hours to stay in business and cope.”
Ms Gillard said Ms Rinehart was a ``well-known opponent'' of the mining and carbon taxes but the prime minister disagreed on both points.
She said Australia would continue to have strong investment in mining projects.
"We've seen billions of dollars of new projects announced by the mining industry since they knew that there was going to be a minerals resource rent tax and since they knew that there was going to be carbon pricing,'' she said.
"We're going to compete on our great mineral deposits, our application of technology and high skills to the task.''
More from Prime Minister Gillard
Ms Gillard acknowledged some companies had paused or delayed plans - such as Fortescue, which announced on Tuesday it would shelve $1.57 billion of expansion plans and cut hundreds of jobs.
"But the mining sector, the resources sector is far bigger than any one company,'' she said.
Ms Rinehart's video follows a column in which she called on her critics to get out of the pub and work harder.
The controversial mining magnate also attacked Australia's "class warfare" and insisted it is billionaires such as herself who are doing more than anyone to help the poor by investing their money and creating jobs.
Mrs Rinehart also suggested the government should lower the minimum wage of $606.40 per week and cut taxes to stimulate employment.
