Mrs Gina Rinehart AO – Speech at Solaris Event, Port Hedland.
Good evening and a very warm welcome to our wonderful pink ladies, it’s especially lovely to see you again after meeting at the Bush Summit last year.
And don’t they look superb in their pink Drizabone jackets and Rossi boots?!
This month, Australia marks National Breast Cancer Month, a very important month as this frightening disease sadly affects almost every family in our country. Too many of us know someone who has suffered from breast cancer and related cancers: a mother, grandmother, daughter, aunt, sister, cousin, teammate or friend.
I have long supported the fight to support patients and drive progress towards better checks, treatment, patient care and support.
Back in the early 1990s, I established the Hancock Family Breast Cancer Foundation – Australia’s first dedicated breast cancer foundation – and also in the early 90’s requested from our then federal government permission to be able to establish our nation’s first National Breast Cancer Day.
With the wonderful help of Archbishop, later Primate, Dr Peter Carnley, who arranged throughout Australia dedicated church services on breast cancer day evenings, these helped the beginnings of what became a national movement of awareness and action.
You may not know, under the medical guidance of Professor Dr John Forbes in particular, in one year I spent weekends arranging signatures for petitions, to lower the age of breast cancer checks, which missed far too many early cancers, and took this huge petition to Canberra. Ultimately, thank goodness the age was lowered. And you may know, our private company, Hancock Prospecting quietly funds much appreciated patient care packages, with mattress comforters, natural bathroom kits , pillows and more in addition to funding a number of cancer research projects over the decades.
At Roy Hill we took an unusual step, launching the world’s first fleet of pink mining trucks – each one named in honour of a brave woman affected by breast cancer or someone who has contributed to the fight.
Since then, pink has become part of who we are – painted across our distinct trains, crushers, uniforms, whims plants, contractors trucks, again all world firsts, and soon we will have our initial foundation’s emblem the Sturt Desert Pea, across our new office headquarters in West Perth. These are not just colours on steel and fabric and soon, glass, – they are daily symbols of encouragement for support and hope. I am truly very proud of the Roy Hill now Hancock Iron Ore family, for the care and support our staff give to those amongst us facing cancer. This is a wonderful culture I do hope spreads far and wide amongst more Aussie companies and organisations. Wouldn’t that be magnificent!
Our staff at Hancock, through our regular workplace giving program, donate to breast cancer support which our business matches every donation dollar for dollar. Actually our companies well exceed this.
Last year, more than 169,000 Australians received the devastating news of a cancer diagnosis. That means nearly 500 Australians hear that diagnosis every single day. Each case sends ripples beyond one individual – affecting families, workplaces, and many.
Survival rates have improved over time, but there is still a long way to go. Thousands of lives are still lost every year, breast cancer and its related cancers still being one of the 2 biggest killers of women in our country, and every single one of those lives is not a figure, but a real person leaving behind family, too often young children, plus friends, and teammates.
The message needs to be clear: early detection saves lives. Please don’t put it off. Book the screening, remind your loved ones, and let’s help as many lives as we can. When cancer is found early, the chances of survival are greater. And although I m not a Dr, so can’t recommend specific things I believe can be helpful, including for support during the difficult chemo treatment, please keep researching for yourselves.
Cancer isn’t only about the medical battle. It’s also the emotional and practical toll that diagnosis brings for patients especially and their families and others close to them. That’s why I’m so proud of our caring staff who go out of their way to support and care for our company’s employees facing this terrible disease, please keep doing so, and I’m proud that we have supported for years, the work of Solaris Cancer Care.
Hancock Prospecting and Hancock Iron Ore are proud to support Solaris in their vital mission helping their patients.
At Solaris, every person who walks through the door is welcomed not only as a patient, but as a human being. They are met with compassion, counselling, therapies, and a place where families know they are not alone in this very difficult fight.
Their programs – including the Pilbara Support Program – provide counselling, therapies, and much-needed care for people including in the Pilbara , where help is much harder to access. This support eases the heavy load carried by families and caring others who are already facing so much.
Although he can’t be with us today, I would like to acknowledge the very special Doctor Joske. Having founded Solaris 24 years ago, and now with four regional centres including two in Perth, Dr Joske is a person I hold in high regard – a man who has dedicated his career to putting humanity back into healthcare, and to helping others. A dedication, indeed fight at times that is not easy.
So this evening , it is my privilege to announce a further contribution – donations from Hancock Prospecting and Hancock Iron Ore to Solaris Cancer Care in the Pilbara. The first tranche of this 6 million, will be paid now, 2 million during national breast cancer month. This funding will help expand their services, for families in the Pilbara, so more people can find strength, comfort, and hope in their toughest times. A further donation has been made to Solaris for Dr Joske to allocate after his return.
Together – through early action, kindness, care, consideration, support, generosity and research – we can ease the heavy burden of cancer and help to bring strength, comfort, and hope where it is needed most.
I now warmly invite my long term Executive Director and trusted friend, Tad Watroba , and our fantastic CEO of Hancock Iron Ore, Gerhard Veldsman to join me, while we present today’s cheques to Tony Hume CEO Solaris Cancer Care . Without these two very dedicated leaders and all who work at our mining companies, these cheques would not be possible.
