Speeches

Today we honour another of my dearest friends, a pioneering leader of Roy Hill and fellow Hancock Board member. Tad Watroba has been by my side on the Roy Hill mega-project all the way through. We started from very humble beginnings, with very little money for exploration. With every member of Roy’s help, we can look back with pride as what we all have achieved together delivers thousands of jobs to Australians, billions of dollars to the nation’s economy and helps contribute towards maintaining the high living standards we in Australia are very fortunate to enjoy. In the hope spent well, our taxes contribute to our defence, police, looking after our vets, elderly, hospitals, emergencies, kindergartens and much more. I’m delighted and it is indeed my honour to announce the christening and naming of the Watroba Wet High Intensity Magnetic Separator Plant.

My time allocation doesn’t permit me to continue with other Australian women who inspire, so I will finish with quotes from a leader I do admire greatly, for her sense, bravery, leadership, duty to her country, and acting in its interests, even if not popular in noisy quarters, and I hope these quotes resonate, as we sure need better leadership in our country. Quoting from former Prime Minister, Baroness Margaret Thatcher. “Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it’s a day you’ve had everything to do and you’ve done it.”

Mrs Rinehart said the industry couldn’t afford to rest on its laurels after a remarkable year during which mining provided the backbone of the economy through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Please don’t forget it was only a few years ago that our industry was faced with both Mineral Resource Rent and Carbon Tax, a double whammy which would have deprived our industry of the profits needed for investment and for extending our mines and or building new mines, indeed would have devastated many in the industry,” she said.
“Now is the time to remind all those we can, that our industry is necessary to maintain the living standards of Australians, its revenue is necessary to help fund our defence force and police, our hospitals and kindies, to help our elderly, maintain some of our airports, bridges, rail and roads, and provide funds for crises.
“Because we can’t sit on our laurels and think that if we do nothing, the double whammy won’t return in some foolish form or another to devastate our industry, an industry we not only derive our livelihoods from, but should be very proud to be a part of.”

Our mining sector has delivered for the whole of Australia over many decades, opening up remote and rugged areas that wouldn’t be productive otherwise – providing employment, opportunities and revenue in Australia’s north. The importance of mining to the Australian economy should not be underestimated. Last year, Australia’s then Governor General invited us to his Canberra residence to celebrate our National Day. His Excellency General, the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), one of the finest Australians our country has ever produced. Superbly said in his own fine words. Please join me in applause. Please see more of the then Governor General’s speech on our National Mining and Related Industries Day website. Many of you would have heard me say before, albeit less eloquently – if high cost Australia wants to remain internationally competitive and encourage investment to grow its exports, which exports bring massive revenue into Australia, and future jobs for our growing population – we need our Government to cut its onerous, investment deterring burdens of government tape and taxes. Let’s help our Government to focus on and progress significant tax and tape cutting.

We as pastoralists and farmers are best placed to determine where investment should go for the properties we know, I underline this, the properties we know, and we should advise government. Not the other way around.
Imagine what we could do in our industry, with tax and government tape cuts, more water, and having more say on where our own hard earned money is invested. I think we could be the best in the world!
Now I know Tony would have a terrific forum planned for you, but firstly I want to say, a huge congratulations and thanks to the Pastoralists and Graziers Association, and to their terrific President, Tony Seabrook, for all they do for our industry and the brave stand they tirelessly take, standing up for our industry. Indeed for West Australians too.