Why Twiggy's happy to cut the oranges for Team Australia
'Look, I just speak today as a passionate Australian person who's always been happy to cut the oranges out for our country, anytime,' the West Australian billionaire said.
The man known as 'Twiggy', a mining tycoon turned climate saviour, had moments earlier been lavishing praise on the prime minister. Albanese was a busy man, Forrest remarked, and busy people were the best people to handle a tough job.
The task on Forrest's mind?
'I asked our prime minister if he could work together with China to form a bilateral agreement where we escape the threats coming from AI [artificial intelligence] to employment, both in China and Australia,' Forrest said.
A big ask in anyone's book. And the purpose of this request?
'[To] generate a serious jobs boom in both China for green steel and particularly for Australia in green iron ore,' Forrest said. 'We forecast hundreds of thousands of new jobs ... Chasing that tail is incredibly important for all peoples, and for all peoples' children.'
The link between artificial intelligence and green steel may need some clarification. But what is clear is Forrest's drive to build his company, Fortescue, and through that to drive change for a greener economy.
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