On last week's Bernardi show I mentioned the wonderful and fitting announcement that Australia's most successful and generous business person was made Western Australian of the year.
Gina Rinehart deserves that accolade. She has achieved extraordinary things over decades running Hancock Prospecting.
Sure, we all see the eye watering wealth in the headlines but have you stopped to think how that was achieved?
Profit is a product of creation. That business building process provides jobs and innovation and, in the case of Rinehart - hundreds of millions in taxes every single year.
It’s risky business which is why so many only seem prepared to risk other peoples money.
Many other high profile entrepreneurs are looking for government handouts or taxpayer subsidies.
Rinehart just wants government to get out of the way so the private sector can create the jobs and prosperity we all need.
I say again, few are willing to take that risk with their own money.
Even fewer are willing to give hundreds of millions away to philanthropic causes without fanfare or attention seeking validation.
Rinehart is the largest sponsor of sport in the country - many of which wouldn’t survive without her financial support.
But that’s just what you know about.
There are myriad other organisations to which the Rinehart fortune is spread - from hospitals to the flying doctors, not for profits to individuals in need.
None of it necessary, all done because she wants to and without seeking personal aggrandisement.
That’s why, when I see things like this from a ‘journalist’ you realise how bitter and twisted some people are.
Here’s Pete Milne on twitter
He’s a ‘journalist’ for WA Today covering energy and mining if you can believe that.
If he had half a brain he’d be celebrating the thousands of jobs and billions in royalties generated by Hancock Prospecting and Gina Rinehart - most of them in Western Australia I should point out.
Instead, a bitter and petty tweet is all that can be mustered by yet another climate activist masquerading as a journalist. It appears that he loathes the industry he is paid to write about.
One of the big problems with this country is we don’t celebrate success.
Too many want to see participation ribbons instead of actual performance recognition.
That’s the path to mediocrity and frankly, we’ve got too many mediocre people pursuing public agendas in this country already.
Instead we should be celebrating excellence and achievement. That's what Rinehart represents.
I restate my position from last week. Gina Rinehart shouldn’t be just Western Australian of the year, she should be Australian of the Year.
Cory Bernardi is the author of seven books and has been a member of the Australian rowing team, a publican, an investment portfolio manager and spent nearly 14 years as an Australian Senator.
