Friday 17 November 2017, Roy Hill
Friday, a day when all Roy employees can wear pink and contribute a donation towards breast cancer, also saw a pink truck christening ceremony at Roy Hill. This continues Mrs. Rinehart’s and and Roy Hill’s commitment to do more for breast cancer. In the bright Pilbara sun and with much red dust, staff and friends cheered on the Christening of five pink trucks, Paspaley, Noela, Luisa, Joy and, Andra and Imants.
Speech by Mrs Gina Rinehart
Warm, indeed very warm welcome!
It is very special for me to have my very good friend, Nick Paspaley at Roy Hill today for our pink truck naming ceremony. We share quite a few things – we are both from the North, both our families started in Cossack, and the North has given both of us the opportunity with huge effort to create world class businesses.
In naming one of our pink trucks Paspaley, we are not only celebrating the international success of a great northern Australian business, but also one who cares about the frightening and sad problem of breast cancer. Paspaley operations traverse 1,000 miles of West Australian coastline to produce the world’s most perfect and coveted beautiful pearls.
In the same manner in which we enthusiastically celebrate and honour our athletes beating the world, it’s time we nurtured a culture that celebrates home grown businesses that globally outclass everyone in their field. And so today, we are very proud to honour you Nick, and the Paspaley family company as the world’s best pearl producers. Thank you Nick.
Our second pink truck, Noela, is named after a very special lady and friend who wanted so much to be with us today. Having known Noela for decades, knowing what a rare person she is, a truly special friend, it gives me great pleasure that she is happy to have a pink truck named after her. Noela has drafted a few words to be read out.
“Mrs Rinehart, special guests, ladies and gentlemen,
What a privilege this is for me.
I was the Executive Director of the HFBC Foundation Inc , which was established in 1993.
It was a slim and very efficient organisation, being Mrs Rinehart and I, except that the hours Mrs Rinehart had to work on the foundation were usually between 3am-5 am and around midnight! We certainly were busy, with many functions, fantastic New Year’s Eves, Mother’s Day, and many more, with great speakers including from overseas, Mrs Rinehart achieved the then first for Australia national breast cancer day, which we launched, with Anglican Church services around Australia, we toured Australia together repeatedly on a determined mission to help breast cancer, including launching a sister foundation in Queensland.
I remember clearly the indignant comment of one State Director of the Cancer Foundation during discussions with him. He said “Women have free mammograms, what more do you want?” At that time, free mammograms only covered from above 50 years age, on medical advice this age needed to be lowered, so we petitioned and campaigned to lower this age limit.
I was invited to address a Women’s Health Forum at Karratha, funded by the local council.
It was to encourage women to access the mobile mammography clinic, but there was one proviso, that the word breasts was not to be mentioned.
I ignored this requests and had the women shout BREASTS several times before we began.
It is almost inconceivable that such an attitude existed.
When the Foundation sponsored Prof John Forbes to visit all state capitals to conduct best practice seminars with doctors, it helped to bring breast surgery from the dark ages into the modern era.
I am indebted to my brilliant medical team and my husband Mike, who must be the best carer in the world.
Mrs Rinehart continues to beat the drum loudly for breast cancer. She is not only my friend, but a generous and great Australian who deserves your continued support.
Thank you”
Nick, Melissa and Emma, could you come with me please to christen the first two pink trucks?
Christen two trucks.
Luisa is the bright, happy and friendly face you see on the reception desk at our Remote Operations Centre headquarters in Perth. A face of our headquarters.
Luisa was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999 at the age of 30 and started the first “Under 40”s support group” providing support to women and their partners. She also helped establish a hospital and treatment booklet for Pilbara women who travel to Perth to receive treatment.
It is often not understood just how deviating breast cancer can be for the families involved. As Luisa said quote “facing my own mortality and having such a new family was the most frightening experience.” Luisa is here today with her family including her two sons, who she said, gave her much inspiration and courage to fight her battle.
Our fourth pink truck, Joy, is named after a wonderful woman of the north, who was my mother Hope’s best friend.
Joy lived in the north of WA at Fitzroy Crossing for many years. Both Joy and my mother worked together in the Royal Flying Doctors Service.
I’m very happy her only daughter and my friend since her babyhood, Virginia has flown from Sydney to join us here today. Thank you Virginia.
The Andra and Imants pink truck is named after two of my friends, Andra and Imants Kins.
Imants and several of my good friends, founded ANDEV with me, and he now co-chairs it with me, a group which promotes the economic development of the north through special economic zones, basically, less of the two “T’s”, taxes and tape.
Later Imants came to work for Roy Hill, an executive position that he liked, but unfortunately breast cancer then also struck his beloved wife, who went thru much chemotherapy, and an operation, with her caring husband by her side throughout.
They changed their lives and today Andra has much better health. Imants and I call her “our champion,” after all her battles. I asked if I could name the truck after both of them, because of their teamwork together facing all Andra’s difficult cancer battles.
We believe that we are the only mining company in the world who has a pink truck fleet, an Aussie first. Can we please have a big round of applause for Nick, Noela, Luisa, Virginia, Imants and Andra, and their wonderful Aussie families?
Donations by staff for breast cancer will be matched by the company dollar for dollar.
We hope other members of the mining and related industries will emulate our fundraising, where we have matched dollar for dollar our staff’s contributions.
It is our hope that through these initiatives we are able to work towards fighting this disease and creating a better world that is cancer free.
Please could u join me in two minutes silence for breast cancer sufferers and their loved ones.
Thank you.
