Australia’s richest person’s presents ‘beautiful, big, fat’ bulldozer to Pauline Hanson
Gina Rinehart has presented Pauline Hanson with an orange bulldozer and urged a crowd to make mechanical noises in a bizarre moment during a Queensland bush summit.
Australia’s richest person gave a speech talking up the One Nation leader this afternoon, before she called for staff to bring out the “beautiful, big, fat” bulldozer.
Gina Rinehart presents Pauline Hanson with an orange bulldozer. 9News
“We need more than one of these things, we actually need a beautiful, big, fat ... we need an orange bulldozer,” Rinehart said at a News Corp event in Townsville.
“You might remember Elon Musk was given a big chainsaw to try and cut government tape and bureaucracies over in America.”
Rinehart, wearing a hat from her S. Kidman & Co brand, repeatedly asked the audience to make bulldozer noises as Hanson made her way up to receive her gift.
“Can you all sound like bulldozers, please? Come on, I want some bulldozer noise,” she said.
“Let’s hear the noise. Grrrr. I don’t hear that noise. Let’s hear a bit more.”
Earlier in her speech, Rinehart praised Hanson for her efforts to cut red tape and government waste so money could be spent on defence, more summits and to exit the Paris Accord climate agreement.
“You give Aussies across our country hope, never departing from values you have consistently held,” she said.
Hanson appeared at the summit today to debate Nationals leader Matt Canavan following her first address to the National Press Club yesterday.
During that address, Hanson lashed out at The Guardian reporter Sarah Martin for her extensive coverage on her party and relationship with Rinehart.
“Honestly, you never give up. I have never seen a person that is such a trashy journalist, and what you put out all the time, you’ve got this obsession with constantly trying to pull down myself, my party or Mrs Rinehart,” she told Martin in front of a room full of journalists.
One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson addresses the National Press Club. Getty Images
“You will be banned from my answering. I’ll answer you this question today, but I am telling you now, don’t come near me for an interview in the future.”
Hanson last week said she takes advice from Rinehart and has taken her advice previously on pensioners and veterans.
“I take advice from Gina Rinehart or any other person. She’s got one vote, exactly the same as any other in Australia,” she told reporters.
Rinehart has donated a $2.1 million light plane and $2 million in cash to Hanson ahead of the Farrer by-election earlier this year and has occasionally lent the One Nation leader her plane.
Rinehart calls for Musk to launch satellites from Australia
Rinehart also used her address at today’s summit to call for the world’s first trillionaire to launch satellites from Queensland.
“What industries should we try to attract? Well, what about the world’s best microchips? What about Elon Musk’s communication satellites?” she said.
“Apparently, we have land out near Prairie designated for toxic, asbestos-riddled, bird-and-bat-maiming, bird-and-bat-killing wind towers. What a waste.
Gina Rinehart and Elon Musk, the world’s first trillionaire. Supplied
“At no cost, for his SpaceX satellite, construction and launches at water, and the infrastructure Elon needs, he needs land to expand.
“He’s really got a massive program there, and an alternate weather place in an allied country for his multiple satellite launches.”
Rinehart would stand to benefit if Musk were able to expand in Australia.
She bought a $1.4 billion stake in the SpaceX IPO earlier this week, which made Musk the world’s first trillionaire.
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