Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week a truly significant event took place in the history of this country, and I am disappointed that it received scant, if any, comment in this place. It is a slight that I seek to redress in some small measure this evening. This is a significant event not just for our national economy but also because I think it is the culmination of the incredible vision and hard work of one of Australia's most successful business builders, Mrs Gina Rinehart. It is a matter of some regret that Mrs Rinehart's extraordinary success is not more highly celebrated by members of parliament. Her deep and patriotic love for our country is continually demonstrated by her words, her deeds, her generosity and her investment in Australia and Australian business.

As a consequence of her business acumen, thousands upon thousands of Australians have jobs, our state and federal governments replenish their coffers and our country has a brighter future. Thanks to the events of last week, that future is now shining a little brighter still. The event I am referring to, of course, is the signing of the senior finance documentation for a funding package worth $7.2 billion to develop the Roy Hill iron ore mining project located in Western Australia's Pilbara region. This is a $10 billion project that is 70 per cent owned by an Australian company—Mrs Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting. It is the largest ever project financing from the development of a land based mining project world wide.

Quite frankly, in these tough economic times, this announcement should have us all cheering from the rooftops, not simply because when completed Roy Hill will be Australia's fourth largest iron ore producers, exporting some 55 million tonnes per year and creating over 2,000 permanent jobs, but because it already employs 2,500 people, which is expected to peak at 3,600 in the years ahead. To be fair, the important success of Mrs Rinehart's efforts have been acknowledged by some diverse community leaders, including WA secretary to the Australian Workers Union, Stephen Price, who said:

Members and the workers there are very happy with the terms and conditions of the project.

I point out that it was also welcomed by WA Premier, Colin Barnett.

However, this success has come in the face of great adversity. The knockers said it could not be done. They attacked our most successful business person on the very basis of her success in taking a debt laden family company to create one of the most successful private enterprises anywhere on the planet. The critics conveniently forget the Hancock Prospecting story, which began with the birth of the late Lang Hancock in 1909 and the discovery of iron ore in 1953. There is no doubt that Lang Hancock was a pioneer, and he left an amazing legacy upon his death in 1992—coincidentally, the same year that his daughter, Mrs Gina Rinehart, conducted the first field testing of what is to become the Roy Hill mine.

The legacy that Mr Hancock left was not without challenges—financial and bureaucratic. What followed were two decades of Mrs Rinehart working tirelessly towards a dream that would benefit the nation. It was also two decades of hearing from people who said it could not be done and suffering continuing personal attacks on the individual bold enough to prove them wrong. I regret that in recent years too many of these uninformed comments have come from people in this place. They think there is some political point to be gained by repeating the class warfare rhetoric of the stupid Occupy movement. Instead, those people should be thanking Mrs Rinehart and her fellow entrepreneurs right around the country for the opportunities they are providing to so many of our citizens.

Mrs Rinehart's business successes enhance the lives of many, many Australians. I, for one, think that her extraordinary business-building capacity, her deep love for Australia and her concern for our nation's future need to be acknowledged and saluted by all in our parliament. Tonight I do my little bit to recognise that contribution and I ask that other senators and members of the House of Representatives consider doing so.