Article by Alex Blair, courtesy of News.com
05.05.2025
Australia’s richest woman has weighed in on the federal election result, calling for a return to “common sense and truth” in economic policy following Labor’s decisive national victory.
The centre-left party utterly dominated the election, with Coalition candidate Peter Dutton dramatically losing his own seat in the process.
There have already been parallels drawn between Australia’s election and the most recent one in Canada, with analysts suggesting the runaway results are part of an international movement against Donald Trump, or anything that may resemble his right-wing policies.
In a statement shared publicly on her website, Gina Rinehart criticised the “left media” for influencing the result, which has given Labor a majority and in Anthony Albanese’s words, a “mandate” to continue things as they were for another three years.
Rinehart suggested the Australian public was intentionally frightened by the media into thinking Mr Dutton was the boogeyman. She also criticised the Liberal Party for watering down their fundamentals in an attempt to steal Labor votes from those who were fed up with Mr Albanese.
“The left media did a very successful effort, frightening many in the Liberal Party from anything Trump, and away from any Trump-like policies,” Rinehart wrote.
“This has been especially obvious this year, with the Liberals instead becoming known as the ‘me too’ party.”
She argued that pro-business policy settings — such as cutting government bureaucracy and reducing taxes — had been largely absent from the Coalition’s platform, and that those economic positions had been mischaracterised in the press.
“No doubt the left media will now try to claim that the Liberal loss was because the Liberal Party followed Trump and became too right! The two simply don’t add up,” she said.
Rinehart called for a clearer focus on attracting investment, arguing that sustained economic growth depends on policies that support private enterprise and reduce red tape.
“It shouldn’t be rocket science, but apparently it is,” she said.
She also recounted recent conversations during a visit to New York, claiming that younger Americans disillusioned with cost-of-living pressures were shifting their political views.
“What do you think those in their late 20s and thirties were telling me, educated on left propaganda — it’s hard to get married, because they couldn’t afford homes – even rental, they were worried about their future, some were in their 30s and worried they could never afford a family, yes, USA birthrates have gone down,” she continued.
“And what was I hearing from parents with young children? Financially they were really struggling to cope. These previous young democrats, brought up in years of left propaganda miseducation, were becoming Republicans!
“Why are Americans getting it, and we aren’t?”
Drawing comparisons with countries like Argentina, Italy and Hungary, Rinehart said several governments were rejecting traditional left-leaning economic policies in favour of deregulation and private investment.
Rinehart raised concern over the implications for Australia’s mining sector and business community, citing data from the Minerals Council of Australia that suggests 80 per cent of the resource project pipeline has been cancelled.
“This should be very concerning to Australians,” she said.
She also shared a personal story of a friend — a small business owner — who planned to relocate overseas following the result.
“I pleaded with her, please don’t go, please stay and fight for understanding of the changes Australia needs.”
Rinehart closed her statement by acknowledging the Labor government’s electoral mandate and urging policymakers to avoid complacency.
“Australians have overwhelmingly voted in returning the PM and government, we must wish him well, with carefully considered policies that don’t lead us quickly to becoming an Argentina prior to the outstanding President Milei.”
It’s not the first time Ms Rinehart has laid out her strong political opinions.
In August last year, the billionaire mining magnate unleashed on Australia’s “woke” education system, called for tax cuts and linked immigration to the nation’s worsening housing crisis.
Ms Rinehart, who is worth an estimated $40 billion, claimed children were “no longer taught to be proud of our country” and called on the government to overhaul the curriculum.
“Even for those (kids) as young as those in preschools, (they) are being taught our police are bad, plastics, essential in hospitals, are bad,” she said.
“They and others in school classes are no longer taught to be proud of our country, quite the opposite.”
She claimed students were being taught “propaganda rather than facts and woke causes instead of understanding, rationale and logic.”
“They are taught that it is wrong to say there are two genders, indeed, even being told off if they say that.”