Blog comments

• The latest published comments of Gina Rinehart illustrate the extent her knowledge is lacking. It boggles the mind how someone so inept could gain control of a billion dollar empire. Statistics demonstrate that the majority of families will produce someone that will squander the assets of the empire every three or four generations. Rinehart has what is as close to a lock on a permanent revenue stream capable of maintaining her familys wealth as is possible but I believe she is still capable of squandering it. As sure as death and taxes Rinehert is the number one target for the people who are infinitely more powerful than she is. As sure as death and taxes they will prevail and she will lose the family fortune. It has escaped nobodys attention how much the journalistic integrity of Fairfax has diminished since she put the hamburgler on the board. I am interested to know why the Rinehart Empire has not been held to account for their contribution to the asbestos disaster that has cost the nation billions and the lives of tens of thousands. Her father was perhaps the most ardent supporter of asbestos who both mined it and distributed it. We are a nation that prides itself on our position against discrimination so it seems particularly unjust to hold the foreign company of James Hardy to account and allow the multi billion dollar Australian company of Hancock to evade any penalty. Cumulative interest doubles assets every 7 years so surely the settlement amount for Rinehart should be proportional to that factor multiplied by the Hardy settlement. I am not aware of any statute in law that allows Rinehart to evade her responsibilities when we consider that new deaths and cases are still occurring.

  Target 1 Monday 21 January, 2013 - 11:16 AM

• I think Gillard has enough eunuchs on the payroll without more volunteers. Swan is the head eunuch and Garrett is not far behind. Carr was on that team for a long while but several recent decisions suggest they may have grown back. The UN vote and the recent initiative to expand military capability in collaboration with the UK were both very smart decisions that have earned the respect of Australians and beyond. He lost a lot of ground through the many foolish decisions and subservient actions so he is a long way from earning back the respect of the people. However credit where credit is due. I applaud these two decisions Mr Carr and hope you can summon the requisite fortitude to continue on that path. Life is fleeting. Ones achievements in life are eternal. There is no greater honour than to represent the people in any capacity. Media and politics are perhaps the most powerful vehicles to represent the interests of the people.

  Cut the jokes Clarry Monday 21 January, 2013 - 10:34 AM

• From a great nation to a nation of ingrates in under 100 years. From a great nation to a desperate and essentially defunct nation in under 200 years. I am not aware of any other nation in history that has risen to such greatness and fallen to oblivion so quickly. America most certainly was a great nation at one stage. However it was not a great nation through war or force. America was once a great nation due to the honourable philosophies and laws that were put in place by the forefathers. This differentiated America from the rest of the world and the rule of other nations that had reigned supreme for millennia. Year after year generation after generation Americans have allowed their leaders to erode this greatness until none of it remains. Under the likes of Nixon Johnson Bush x2 H Clinton and Obama America has been transformed into the scourge of the world. The bane of our existence. Australia is the ONLY nation on earth that is completely subservient to America. Australia is currently the nation that is enduring the most hardship as a result of financial initiatives forced on us. Enemy or ally makes no difference. American government as it stands treats every citizen and every nation the same way. Rape destroy and pillage. To continue to follow America into the abyss would be beyond stupidity. It would be criminal.

  From Great to Ingrate Monday 21 January, 2013 - 10:30 AM

• Whose paying the Taliban and the Libyan militants the Saudis I just sold my stock at syama
  Rsg ok

  Dollars Saturday 19 January, 2013 - 8:17 PM