Gina Rinehart tells Australia to ‘drain the swamp’

Australia’s richest woman Gina Rinehart has criticised the way Australia does business, saying too much red tape is hurting the economy and business owners.

Addressing a packed crowd at a resources conference in New Delhi, India, the mining magnate said Australia needs to take a similar approach to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump and drain the swamp.

In her cutting speech, titled ‘The emperor fiddles while Rome burns’, Rinehart echoed Trump’s words from the campaign trail, saying it was time for Australia to reboot the economy and stop penalising business owners for trying to make a living, reports The Australian.

“I keep reminding our governments that Australia needs to learn from the Indian leadership and now President Trump’s economic leadership also, by taking decisive steps to make doing business in high cost Australia easier, and rolling out the red carpet for investors,” she said.

“We need mountains moved in Australia and swamps drained.”

Rinehart, who built her wealth throughout the iron ore boom, said the government needs to stop making it so difficult for people to do business in Australia.

“There is one thing in particular that your Prime Minister said that really caught the world’s attention — ‘no red tape, only red carpet, is my policy towards investors’,” she said.

Her words come just days after the Government secured tax cuts for small and medium businesses in Australia.

Last week, the Senate passed tax cuts for businesses with a turnover of up to $50 million after lengthy negotiations.

Do you agree with Gina Rinehart here? Is there too much red tape in Australia?