Gina Rinehart spends thousands evacuating media chief from Israel
Having friends (or rather bosses) in high places has never been more helpful for well-connected PR and government relations guy James Radford, who was stuck in Israel over the weekend as Iranian missiles rained down. But not stuck for long.
Radford, who runs his own Radford Consulting and is external affairs manager for Hancock Prospecting, was able to call upon his boss, mining billionaire Gina Rinehart, to get him out of Israel pronto. Others, who were part of an official delegation, were not so lucky.
It seems when Rinehart isn't keeping the Australian swim team afloat and giving out $100,000 cheques to her staff, she is saving them from war zones. Benevolent capitalism at work. And obviously, billionaire-tier travel insurance is many rungs above Budget Direct.
One estimate put the cost of the extraction at $60,000, but Radford said it could be even higher.
'Gina Rinehart was incredible – she worked day and night to try and get us out of there by whatever means possible and safe,' Radford told CBD from Melbourne.
'We definitely tried to get the entire group out, multiple Australians out – however there was no capacity in the system as this was the first day,' he said.
'My first evacuation was cancelled.'
Radford spent part of his time in the country on an official Israeli government-organised Australian Pride Mission to Israel, a two-week culture tour which was to culminate in Tel Aviv Pride. He also caught up the Australian-Israel Chamber of Commerce group, visited a kibbutz that was a site of an October 7 massacre and spent time with former Labor senator Nova Peris and media personality Erin Molan.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AU Financial Review
37 minutes ago
- AU Financial Review
US forces make Australia a Chinese target: Hastie
Shadow Home Affairs Minister Andrew Hastie has pointedly posed a question that successive Australian governments have not dared to answer, nor even mention. Namely, just what Australia is getting itself into as the US military footprint across the country expands. Will it involve us in a war with China? Hastie's remarks represent the frankest statement on the US alliance by a serving member of parliament since Prime Minister Julia Gillard's 2011 announcement that US marines would rotate through Darwin. Yet at no point in the intervening period has any government or indeed think tank spelt out the implications of this deepening alliance.
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Donald Trump-induced market chaos won't shred your super balance
First, it's a question of sheer size. The US is simply too big to ignore, and our funds are too big to stay in Australia. The US makes up more than half the world's equity markets by value, so other markets would simply be unable to absorb all the capital if people wanted to move. Australian super funds are also bursting with cash they need to deploy thanks to compulsory super contributions, and they already own more than a quarter of the local sharemarket. But size isn't the only reason the US will probably remain a magnet for super funds. 'The US do probably a better job of turning GDP growth into earnings per share growth, which ultimately is what our members invest in, than most countries around the world.' Cbus chief investment officer Leigh Gavin Another drawcard for big super is US leadership on technology and innovation, including in artificial intelligence, notwithstanding growing competition from China. This is reflected in the eye-popping share prices of the 'magnificent seven' – the giant US tech stocks that have posted huge returns in recent years, even including a more bumpy ride lately. Cbus chief investment officer Leigh Gavin says that even though the US outlook over the next decade is riskier than it was a year ago, he still views the US as 'an amazingly dynamic country with amazingly dynamic and innovative companies'. 'The US do probably a better job of turning GDP growth into earnings per share growth, which ultimately is what our members invest in, than most countries around the world,' Gavin says. This doesn't mean the US will remain quite as dominant in the investment world as it has been. Indeed, there are signs that big investors are keen to spread their bets more widely, including into other regions such as Europe, and other currencies outside the greenback. But throughout the past six months of volatility, there have been few signs super funds are ditching the US in any dramatic way. MLC Asset Management chief investment officer Dan Farmer for example says the fund has been diversifying into Europe because it believes the continent represents better value, but not because the fund believes US exceptionalism is over. 'We spent a bit of time thinking about that question of US exceptionalism because it is a large part of our portfolio and most portfolios,' Farmer says. 'And we've arrived at the conclusion that the US is still an exceptional market for a few reasons – the quality of the businesses in the US. The tech stocks are expensive, yes, but still high-quality businesses.' Loading One thing, Farmer says, that would make the fund really take notice would be a weakening in US institutions such as the Federal Reserve. But although Trump has repeatedly taken potshots at the central bank, Farmer believes its independence is 'still very much intact'. What about geopolitical risk? Are the super giants worried that the many flashpoints in the world – the latest being the Middle East – will have disastrous consequences for markets? Again, big funds are betting that over the long term, geopolitical crises are unlikely to cause lasting damage to markets, unless they inflict a major hit on the world economy. The muted reaction on global markets to the US bombing of Iran is a case in point. Gavin says geopolitical shocks in the past have typically knocked 2 to 10 per cent off share markets (unless they spark a recession). In many cases, markets rebound soon after the initial shock. All of this underlines perhaps the most important lesson from a wild year on markets: staying the course has paid off. Every time there is a market plunge, super funds brace for jittery members to move their money to a safer option such as cash. Given the frequency of scary headlines, it's easy to see why many people get spooked. But the well-known risk of doing this is that you could lock in losses, and miss out on the rebound – which this year was powerful, and took place when Trump paused his tariff plan. With the benefit of hindsight, we now know switching to cash during the 'Liberation Day' chaos would have been a costly mistake. As Trump is still early in his second term, that's worth remembering because it's highly likely his presidency will bring more episodes of volatility for investors. Ross Gittins is on leave.
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Sussan Ley should harness her inner Margaret Thatcher if she wants Aussie women back on side
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley blended autobiography with political reckoning when she delivered her sweeping address this week to the National Press Club. Her remarks and anecdotes were deeply personal, clearly intended to help restore the Liberal Party's damaged credibility after its devastating election defeat. But her speech and earnest manner was also a direct overture to a critical cohort her party had discarded as if we were a one-night stand. That would be Australian women who felt marginalised, taken for granted and in response ultimately showed her predecessor Peter Dutton a metaphorical middle finger on May 3. The question is - will we now listen and will her plea to the nation work? While Mr Dutton distanced himself from the symbolic recognition of indigenous Australians at public functions, Ms Ley has chosen a different path and opened her address with the words: "I'd like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet today." Her gesture was loud and clear. To quote Ms Ley as the first woman elected to lead the Liberal party, she absolutely must follow through on this promise. 'I'm not here to speak about milestones or firsts,' she warned the room. 'I'm here to talk about the important work we are going to do over the next three years to rebuild trust with Australians so we're worthy of their support at the next election.' In Canberra on Tuesday, there was certainly some powerful stuff from Ms Ley about how she dug herself out of economic hardship. In a polished and prepared manner, she took the assembled lunch guests back to her 1980s. 'Between graduating from school and becoming - as I described myself - a farmer's wife, I worked my share of the tough jobs,' she said. 'Cleaner, waitress, short order cook … and outback pilot. I was not taken seriously in pilot training. I was nearly always the only woman in the group. 'The privileged boys whose parents bankrolled their lessons attracted more street cred than me. 'I lived in a bedsit under the bridge in Queanbeyan and my clothes were from Vinnie's because every dollar I made went towards flying lessons.' By painting herself as the anti-privilege politician bereft of silver spoons and inner-city elitism, Ms Ley is banking on this narrative cutting through. This is especially among women outside the Teal belt and in the regions - the ones juggling night shifts and school drop-offs, stretching every dollar to cover eye-popping grocery bills or trying to claw their way back into the workforce in their 40s. Ms Ley explained: 'I understand just how tough it can be for those who live a life on the land. 'Balancing the family budget was becoming too hard so I made a decision that many mums have made before (to) get new skills and bring in extra income. 'As I raised my own family I went to university for the first time, aged 30.' Then there was the sting of dismissiveness in blokeish industries, endemic in her generation. 'One male (flying) instructor said 'Why are you doing this? You're no good at it'. I wasn't, to begin with, but that's not the point. 'I was told I couldn't get a crop dusting rating because the chemicals would damage my unborn children. 'I was yelled at, hit on and then ignored. In my early 20s I was working in air traffic control at Sydney airport (as) I wanted to pursue something different. 'I wanted to actually fly. I advertised my recently acquired skills as an aerial mustering pilot in rural newspapers across the country.' She went on to recount the job-hunting hustle including one call to a cashed-up grazier who didn't bother with small talk. First question: 'Can you cook?' followed immediately by: 'What sort of plane do you want?' She said: 'A machinery dealer asked if I was single and mentioned vague extracurricular activities' which got a ripple of laughter in the room. Later changing tack, Ms Ley hit a rare emotional register for a Liberal leader, especially on coercive control in domestic relationships and the threat of violence against women. Ms Ley's candid acknowledgment - 'I understand the fear you feel when you walk alone because I have felt it too' - is the kind of vulnerability that can resonate and long overdue for a party that's struggled to connect with women on this issue. Overall, it was an hour plus speech anchored in lived experience. But I'm wary of terms like existential 'review' and 'reflect and represent modern Australia' which seem like code for soft Left. And a bit of retro sexism will not cut it when the Liberal Party has been promising to 'do better' on female representation for decades and yes it was a relief to hear Ms Ley say she was 'agnostic' on quotas. Politically engaged women - and that is the vast majority of us in 'modern Australia' - want targets and action but based on merit and skills. The impact and style of the late British MP Maggie Thatcher inevitably crops up when analysing an Australian female political leader and with good reason. When she took control of the UK's Conservative Party in 1975, Mrs Thatcher inherited an outfit that had lost not only an election but its sense of purpose. The Tories were drifting, cowed by the Left's narrative and unsure of what they even stood for. Familiar, ain't it just. The Iron Lady, a nickname from a Soviet journalist and one I'm told she loved, didn't seek consensus. Individual responsibility was a passion point for her. Mrs Thatcher smashed it and spoke directly to the people in an uncompromising style which transformed not just her party but her beloved country. Women today aren't voting for inspirational backstories as a type of therapy. We're voting on policies that affect our wallets and families. Get that right Ms Ley and you might find Australian women back on side. Louise Roberts is a journalist and editor who has worked as a TV and radio commentator in Australia, the UK and the US. Louise is a winner of the Peter Ruehl Award for Outstanding Columnist in the NRMA Kennedy Awards for Excellence in Journalism and has been shortlisted in other awards for her opinion work
