Sky News | Peta Credlin program | Australian Biosecurity discussions
Discussion referencing Gina Rinehart’s demand that the Albanese Government ramp up Australia’s biosecurity against FMD.
News
Gina Rinehart calls for action on foot and mouth disease
Gina Rinehart says more money needs to be spent on a ramped-up biosecurity response to the Indonesian foot-and-mouth disease outbreak to protect Australian livestock from getting infected. “Money needs to be spent now, where it will actually reduce the problem, not in telling farmers not to worry,” she said. “All practical options need to be urgently considered as we do not want to regret too little action as it will be too late once the disease is in Australia.”
No border closure to fight FMD
With Indonesian authorities appearing to have lost control of the virus as it spreads across 22 provinces, Agriculture Minister Murray Watt has given sweeping biosecurity powers to Australia’s Border Force at airports to keep the disease out of the country. The Prime Minister said the actions were the “strongest ever measures introduced by an Australian government” to deal with an outbreak of the deadly virus, which could lead to an $80 billion wipe-out of the Australian livestock industry. Despite calls from Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, and the Nationals, to close the border to the popular holiday destination of Bali, Mr Albanese said such a move was not yet necessary.
AUSTRALIA’S richest person Gina Rinehart is taking a bigger slice of Queensland.
Rinehart’s huge cattle operation S Kidman & Co has confirmed it is moving its head office to Queensland as part of a greater focus on the Sunshine State. The company declined to give details of where or when the office would be relocated, but sources said it was likely to be in Brisbane or on the Darling Downs. Founded by Sir Sidney Kidman in 1899, S. Kidman & Co is one of the Australia’s largest beef producers, with a herd carrying capacity of 171,000 cattle. Sir Sidney was a friend and business partner of James Nicholas, Rinehart’s maternal grandfather.
ABC Radio | Breakfast with Danny Kennedy
Looking at the papers now and in The Courier-Mail, Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, is taking a bigger slice of Queensland. Rinehart’s cattle operation S. Kidman and Co has confirmed it’s moving its head office to Queensland as part of a greater focus on the Sunshine State.
Low iron is a health risk made worse by COVID-19. How to get more without supplements
“Beauty is an iron mine,” once remarked the Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart. She was talking about a precious resource, but iron is also profoundly important to living organisms – from bacteria and fungi, to mammals like us. Iron acts as a key to numerous metabolic functions within our bodies. But iron deficiency remains as one of the top global health risks recognised by the World Health Organisation. Iron deficiency has become the most prevalent micronutrient disorder worldwide, and COVID-19 may be worsening the problem.
SKILLS SHORTAGE CONUNDRUM
Australia has half a million jobs up for grabs but is finding it near impossible to fill most of them. The Prime Minister’s $5.4b plan to make child care cheaper for families also forms a central part of his strategy to address the skills shortage. But Mr Albanese is also facing calls to encourage pensioners to return to the workforce. New Liberal leader Peter Dutton has pressed the Albanese Government to allow pensioners to earn more money without seeing their pensions being cut back — borrowing an idea championed by WA mining magnate Gina Rinehart and rejected by the Coalition. Currently pensioners can earn $300 a fortnight before their pension payments are reduced, but Mr Dutton wants the income threshold to be increased to $600.
