A woman who has for decades called for smaller government and reduced welfare says she is willing to make an exception for her Northern Territory rare earths mine.
In a speech today, Ms Rinehart said the perception of her as heartless when it came to Government welfare was misguided. “While in general I disagree with the concept of government handouts, there are some extreme circumstances where I now recognise they may be necessary, to act as a safety net for those battling to maintain their position on the Forbes 100 rich list.
“Without these handouts I would be forced to survive on the revenue from just ten iron-ore mines. So I think it’s appropriate in these cases for the Government to step in and lend a hand”.
She said her views on the role of government had been misconstrued. “When I’ve called for the government to get out of people’s lives, to reduce spending, to reduce welfare, I was talking about unemployed people or those on lower incomes, not billionaire minors who clearly need society’s help. That’s the compassionate side of me that a lot of people don’t see”.
