Gina Rinehart proposes a bold idea for Australia after a private meeting with Elon Musk
Australia’s richest person has met the richest man in the world.
Mining magnate Gina Rinehart had a private meeting with Tesla CEO and owner of X Elon Musk in Florida the day after Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, almost two weeks ago.
Ms Rinehart, who attended the exclusive party with Mr Musk to mark Mr Trump’s stunning return to the White House at the Mar-a-Lago resort he owns, confirmed the meeting in a statement to the Australian Financial Review.
It has since been announced that Musk, whose net worth is estimated at more than $466 billion, will head a government Department of Efficiency to combat bureaucratic waste and bloat.
Ms Rinehart, chairman of Hancock Prospecting and with an estimated net worth of around $30 billion, said Australia would do well to copy this style of initiative as she reported what she said to Musk.
“It gave me the opportunity to thank him for his loyal, steadfast support of President Trump, despite all the lies, misrepresentations and worse thrown at the president (that’s what true friendship is),” Ms. Rinehart said.
‘[It was] a chance to congratulate Elon on his leadership to drive an office of government efficiency, to reduce government waste, which is also desperately needed in Australia.
‘Both countries have enormous debts, which leads to higher taxes, high interest rates and inflation, which affects us all. So it is very important to reduce government waste, as Elon advocates.’
Gina Rinehart poses with Elon Musk as the pair have a private meeting in Florida the morning after Donald Trump’s stunning election victory
Ms Rinehart said Musk is also committed to promoting “the right to free speech” in Australia.
In October,
Perhaps surprisingly, another topic of conversation between Ms. Rinehart and Mr. Musk was the fate of a pet squirrel named P’Nut.
In a case involving four government agencies and a New York judge, 10 to 12 government employees raided the owners’ home last month, where they “ransacked or plundered” the property for five hours before finding P’Nut and a raccoon named Fred seized.
Ms. Rinehart poses with Trump’s daughter Tiffany Trump during the Republican election rally in Florida
Officials said the raccoon was kept without the necessary permit and both pets were euthanized so they could be tested for rabies after P’Nut bit someone involved in the investigation.
The incident has sparked outrage in right-wing American circles, with many seeing P’Nut’s euthanasia as an example of excessive government interference and cruelty.
Ms Rinehart said the ‘rescued orphaned squirrel’ was ‘loved by its owners for seven years’ and was clearly devoid of rabies.
“They were treated as if they were drug dealers, their privacy was grossly invaded and the big hand of the government decapitated both of their pets,” Ms. Rinehart said.
