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Defence infrastructure is needed to protect the nation’s vital mining network, according to recent comments from Western Australian mining magnate Georgina Rinehart.
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The Hancock Prospecting executive chairman and daughter of Lang Hancock spoke at the recent News Corp Australia 2024 National Bush Summit held in Port Hedland, Western Australia.
“Mindset change that is needed should also include the government’s most important responsibility, and that is the defence of our country. It’s no good having the resources in the Pilbara unless we can export them and receive revenue from them, hence we should have defence to keep our railways and ports open, and our vital sea lanes,” she said.
“You may ponder, and how do we pay for this defence? We’re already in record debt with huge government spending. Borrowing an important phrase, “Dig baby dig!” Get rid of the government obstacles delaying development, and instead turn into revenue urgently.
“We should also have learned from Ukraine that warfare is changing, and hence our defence thinking needs to change too. One glaring example is Ukraine-made war drones costing little but destroying a $1 billion Russian naval ship. We need defence investment that works today.
“So, surrounding this vital Pilbara engine, we should have the protective iron domes like the ones in Israel, plus war drones and smart sea mines, plenty of them, and similarly across our sea lanes and ports and some islands, from the north-west through to the north-east.
“We can’t ignore that we have only seven days of fuel reserve in Australia. It is critical that we can keep our sea lanes open to receive fuel, be that from Singapore, USA, or elsewhere.
“We may have the attitude, ‘let’s not spend on our defence, let’s rely on the USA’, but how would that work in reality if we can’t protect our sea lanes and ports so they can enable fuel, defence equipment and heavy supplies from the USA to reach us.”
In addition, Rinehart discussed a national “up path” to see more investment and projects proceed to development instead of delays and expense or losing projects to countries overseas.
“The ‘up path’ enables the ability to pay higher wages, and the ‘up path’ enables you to keep more in your pocket after tax, to spend as you would want,” she said.
“Unfortunately, it seems that our mindset is currently on the ‘down path’, clouded somewhat in non-reality. You can see this in the huge decline in investment and the reality of the pipeline of projects.
“In this Bush Summit series, I’ve spoken in Townsville about increasing our defence, in Bendigo about improving our curriculum and education, in Launceston about cutting the size, expense, and intrusion of government, and in Orange about ensuring we have reliable and abundant energy.
“These are the three essential areas that our governments must do much, much better in to ensure that Australia is returned to the ‘up’ path, plus defence if we want to safeguard our nation.
“Defence is the primary responsibility of our government. If we don’t have our country, then we have nothing.
“Just on that, media love to misquote me, I never said that males under 53 must have military training, this is not feasible, nor did I ever mention fitness training, I actually said males in the defence department under say the age of 53, must have military training. A number of benefits, including our defence personnel numbers are declining to grossly inadequate numbers.
“Could you please join me in massive applause for those serving and for our fantastic veterans.
“The beneficial education of our children and grandchildren is critical. This not only means equipping them with real facts and knowledge and the ability to think for themselves and use logic and rationale, it also means not instilling them with the feelings that they need to be ashamed of our country, and it’s history, the pioneers and their families who worked incredibly hard to give us the nation we can enjoy today.
“It means raising a generation of young people who want to work for their own future, not filled with frightening propaganda that the world is so exposed to climate change it will end in five to 10 years. Why even do your homework, children ask?
“So please join me in calling for a return to the ‘up path’. Join me in calling on our politicians, and those in the media, that we need sensible responsible action that will lift Australia and all Australians up, not more and more expensive, intrusive government.”
