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Mining Magnate Gina Rinehart’s foray into country chic continues with her livestock company buying a popular Aussie shoe brand. Gina Rinehart’s foray into country chic continues with her livestock company S.Kidman & Co buying popular Aussie shoe brand Rossi Boots. The acquisition follows the company’s purchase of Driza-Bone, makers of the iconic oilskin jackets beloved of stockmen, earlier this month. Both brands were previously owned by the Propel Group, and the company has not released details of the amount it paid for either brand.Rossi Boots owns the Kidman trademark with will serve as the launch pad for Ms Rinehart’s new fashion brand.

Artistic Swimming Western Australia Nominates Mrs. Rinehart for Life Membership in Recognition of Exemplary Contribution.

Big Congratulations & well done to the athletes and their coaches for both dedication and commitment.

The Propel Group has agreed to sell the Rossi boots business to S. Kidman and Co – a beef production company chaired by mining magnate Gina Rinehart. It is the second brand sale this month by the Propel Group to S. Kidman and Co, after offloading its apparel brand Driza-bone. “Rossi boots has been wholly Australian-owned since 1910 and, together with our partners, it has been an honour to grow and develop this iconic Australian brand’s legacy of craftsmanship that is etched into the history of our country,” Propel Group chief executive Caroline Elliott said. “S. Kidman and Co is committed to preserving and expanding the Rossi brand into new markets and we are excited that this will continue under Australian ownership and investment.”

Geologist Ian Plimer has praised mining billionaire Gina Rinehart, saying she “doesn’t get enough credit” in Australia. Mr Plimer told Sky News Australia that Ms Rinehart is “the greatest Australian woman” the country has ever produced. “She did it herself, she didn’t inherit anything,” she said. “She’s built a huge private company, the biggest private company in Australia. “She should be honoured for employing so many people and for paying such a huge amount of tax.”

This is an edited extract of Gina Rinehart’s speech to The Australian Financial Review Business Person of the Year awards on December 14. We need policy that helps Australians. We need policies that make investment in our country worth doing. If we have any interest in maintaining our standards of living, we should be doing what other countries are doing. Rolling out the red carpet for investment. Expensive trade trips, even the expense of trade personnel overseas, well – without cutting the cost and delay, or worse, of government red tape, there’s no reason for those.

Our yearly Most Influential list hits at a time when Toronto and London markets are feeling the heat, while Australian mining stocks appear to be performing well. Some of that is down to this year’s Number One: Gina Rinehart.