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Gina Rinehart has skilfully repudiated the attempts of immature netballers to make her bend to their unreasonable whims.

My grandmother hated the Japanese with a passion. After narrowly escaping the Chinese Communist Revolution, she spent three harrowing years under the Japanese Occupation in Singapore, protecting my infant uncle from being bayoneted for the sin of being Chinese.

It is understandable that those who witnessed and survived gruesome war crimes would detest their oppressors. However, though Singaporeans are taught the history of how our nation was forged from the ashes of a cruel occupation, we do not hold the deeds of the past against modern-day Japanese. We can distinguish between generations.

Not so the detractors of Georgina Hope “Gina” Rinehart. The 68-year-old mining magnate and heiress has been roundly chastised by the merciless Left for failing to apologise for remarks made by her father Lang Hancock over three decades ago.

Storm in a Teacup

The furore began when indigenous player Donnell Wallam protested at wearing the logo of Netball Australia sponsor Hancock Prospecting, citing Mr Hancock’s 1984 statement that “half-caste” indigenous Australians who had difficulty integrating into wider society should be sterilised to “breed themselves out”.

Rinehart, who has funded charities providing schooling, scholarships, and employment opportunities for Indigenous youth through Hancock Prospecting, declined to be blamed for her deceased father’s words, and pulled the plug on Hancock’s $15 million sponsorship.

Pastor and media commentator James Macpherson contends:

“If Rinehart’s accusers were acting in good faith, and if they were in the least bit concerned about justice, they would not be insisting that a woman answer for the sins of a man. Does anyone really believe that if Rinehart did as they asked, her apology would be graciously received? The mob don’t want an apology, they want a scalp.”

Disturbing Pattern

This imputed guilt by association comes swiftly after the Essendon FC debacle, where new CEO Andrew Thorburn was forced out after social media vigilantes dug up 2013 sermons from the church he now attends, expressing pro-life views and advising those struggling with same-sex attraction to seek support against their temptations.

Essendon FC President David Barham said:

“The board made clear that, despite these not being views that Andrew Thorburn has expressed personally and that were also made prior to him taking up his role as chairman [of his church’s board], he couldn’t continue to serve in his dual roles at the Essendon Football Club and as chairman of City on the Hill.”

Even if Thorburn had espoused these beliefs personally, why couldn’t the sport have accommodated his religious beliefs, as they did for Muslim AFLW player Haneen Zreika when she refused to play in the LGBT Pride Match?

Smokescreen

Hancock Prospecting has released a public statement on the matter, which reveals that media soundbites may be erroneous, disguising deeper issues in the sport:

“Hancock and Roy Hill were not made aware prior to the proposed partnerships, of the complexity of existing issues between Netball Australia and the Players Association. This includes the Players Association’s endeavours to gain a very substantial increase in wages during a time the sport is reeling financially… Hancock’s proposed sponsorship would have enabled a generous increase in wages for the players…

Contrary to recent media, Hancock has not insisted that its name be worn by the Australian Diamonds in the current Constellation Cup series when overseas, and was advised that the netballers had no concerns in wearing the name on the team dress for the series…

Hancock and Roy Hill do not wish to add to Netball’s disunity problems… it will instead provide a 4-month sponsorship should they and their players wish to accept it, to continue funding the athletes and to help Netball as it arranges alternative funding and sponsorships.”

Climatic Concerns

Ex-Australian netball captain Sharni Norder tweeted upon the news of Hancock’s sponsorship:

“… it’s unacceptable to put our brand alongside an open climate denier. We have put too much into our sport to give social license to a company who’s (sic) profit at all cost attitude puts our future in danger.”

Now employed as a “decarbonisation consultant”, she told ABC News:

“Climate change is a deeply personal issue to me — my netball career was ended from heat stroke.”

Last year, Rinehart prepared a video address for her alma mater St Hilda’s, in which she prompted students to do some critical thinking on climate change:

‘If I may ask a question, for students to ask their teachers, and do their own independent research, and that is: “Which comes first, global warming, or an increase in carbon?”’

Her remarks on the issue were censored by the school.

Hancock avers:

“Mining and resources companies provide billions of dollars to the Australian economy… Hancock and Roy Hill (have) contributed well in excess of $300M to indigenous Australians…

Mining is critical to securing the minerals essential for everyday life. An often conveniently neglected truth when activists talk emotively about mining is that most, if not all, of the primary products required for the equipment, production, distribution and delivery of renewable energy depend on resources that need to be mined. To quote Australia’s Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia, Hon Madeleine King MP, ‘No mining, no net zero’.”

In a subsequent statement, Hancock added:

“Hancock and its executive chairman Mrs Rinehart consider that it is unnecessary for sports organisations to be used as the vehicle for social or political causes.”

Growing Out of a Victim Mentality

Those who engage in identity politics and demand that the world bend to their whims due to their supposed victim status, often end up shooting themselves in the foot. Mark Milke penned an excellent tome on this matter: The Victim Cult: How the Culture of Blame Hurts Everyone and Wrecks Civilizations. Those who define themselves, not by some past injustice, but by their present potential, are best able to grasp opportunities to build a better future.

In the end, the netballers who pridefully expect Rinehart to pander to their perceived slights have lost the most from their own petty politics.

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Originally published at News Weekly.