Mrs Georgina Rinehart at the McMillan Woods Global Awards, 31 October 2013, at the Shangri-La Hotel ballroom in Kuala Lumpur, where she accepted her second award for being a Visionary CEO. At this award ceremony she was also invited by the organisers, to present 7 of the other awards, including to the young performer, as shown in one of the following photos.
During her acceptance speech, Mrs Rinehart acknowledged ANDEV members present and performed her first official duty as a Northern Territory Ambassador, showing on the giant screens each side of her, a film prepared for the Northern Territory government, of the Northern Territory.
The occasion was attended by hundreds of international guests, including members of the Malaysian Royal family.
Some photographs of the occasion follow, along with a transcript of Mrs Rinehart’s acceptance speech.
Speech Notes by Mrs Gina Rinehart: 31 October: Kuala Lumpur, on receiving another International CEO Award
Your Majesties, your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests and Friends.
It is wonderful honour to accept this award – and especially significant to receive this for a second time.
To tell someone they are a ‘person of vision’ in any walk of life is an enormous compliment.
My home Australia is a country born and raised on the vision of people who looked out on its arid land and its often remote and inhospitable terrain – and they saw potential.
In 225 years, since British settlement, Australia has been transformed to the point that we almost take for granted “our lucky country”.
Our expansive lands and rich resources are the envy of many – and they are our blessings.
In the time since I was last here, Australia has had a change of Government.
We have a new Prime Minister in Tony Abbott – a good and decent man who was comprehensively elected.
We’ve had a change in attitude and a feeling that this country wants to reach out and strive again for its enormous potential.
One of the first acts of the new Government has been to announce plans to remove a series of taxes which have worked to slow investment and hinder the creation of businesses and job opportunities.
It is an exciting time to be a proud Australia and someone who believes in the vision of our forefathers – to make our country even better.
You may know that I – with a group of like minded people – formed “Australians for Northern Development and Economic Vision”. Delighted to say, some ANDEV members have travelled with me here tonight.
We stand for what many in Australia want – to see our amazing north opened up.
There is so much potential for our region’s food supply, for minerals, and for energy – yet realising this has been, as we say in Australia, “in the too hard basket”.
I am pleased to tell you that in the last year this has changed somewhat.
All three major political parties have taken up ANDEV’s vision for our north, as has the Northern Territory, led by Adam Giles, Chief Minister.
There is a sense that we may soon have our own special economic zone – much like you do at Iskandar.
Less tax and less regulation once implemented will spark that great Australian spirit again and help us build strong and prosperous partnerships with so many of you in this region.
Can I also say last month I was made an Ambassador for the amazing Northern Territory, a film of the Territory is now showing on the screens.
Thank you again for this award and honour, and I hope you too can see the enormous opportunities we, in Australia hopefully working with our friends in Asia, have ahead.