BHP, RIO 'not acting in Australia's best interests'

Monday April 13, 2015: As the fallout of the crashing iron ore price spreads, HotCopper members have handed down a damning verdict on the behaviour of BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto.

A HotCopper survey has found 81 per cent of the 3599 respondents did not believe BHP (BHP) and Rio (RIO) were acting in the best interests of Australia.

The survey found 54 per cent believed the multinationals were acting in the best interests of their shareholders, with 46 per cent saying they were not.

Respondents were also asked: "Do you believe governments around Australia should, when considering project approvals and other requests, take into account the impact of actions of companies like BHP and Rio Tinto on Australian jobs and the ability of Australian governments to provide essential services?".

Almost 73 per cent of respondents said yes while just 27 per cent said no.

The survey was conducted last week amid growing debate about the impact of BHP and RIO's massive production increases on the iron ore price.


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