Article courtesy of the Mercury.
Agriculture and mining magnate Gina Rinehart says Australia risks killing “the geese laying the golden egg” as farmers struggle under the burdens of government red tape and tax.
Writing exclusively for News Corp’s Bush Summit 16-page liftout, Mrs Rinehart said the nation needed a mindset change – and quickly – with policies that risk investment going elsewhere becoming a “danger to our children and grandchildren’s future”.
“We are seeing massive rates of business failure at the moment, the highest on record for some time, and our agricultural and mining industries are struggling with ever-increasing government-imposed burdens of tape and tax,” she said.
“We are in the longest-running per capita recession on record, threatening our living standards.”
Mrs Rinehart said the elimination of the direct costs of payroll tax, licence fees and stamp duties is what would “actually help the farmer and those in the bush”.
Farmers and pastoralists especially are increasingly under attack, Mrs Rinehart said, and are having to leave their beloved farms as a consequence.
“The engine room of our nation is in the bush,” she said.
“But if we increasingly limit this engine, delaying or stopping it from operating, with increasing government tape and investment deterring policies, let’s start to think of the consequences.
“Tax revenue that provides for our nurses, police, hospitals, health care, our increasing numbers of elderly, emergency services and veterans (and much more.) Stopping or delaying the engine providing the tax revenue, which of these important needs should be cut?”
Mrs Rinehart said Bush Summit was an ideal opportunity to speak about these problems, and come up with solutions.
“If we continue to saddle our contributors with additional costs and government burdens, we are going to foolishly kill the geese laying the golden eggs,” she said.
