Australia’s richest woman Gina Rinehart has fired back at Celeste Barber after the comedian who has raised $47 million for the bushfire appeal demanded to know ‘where the hell are you and all your money?’
In a tongue-in-cheek tweet this week, Barber directly addressed the mining magnate and warned: ‘If you’re in Hawaii on a family holiday I’m going to flip a f***ing table’.
In a statement to Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday evening, a spokesman for Mrs Rinehart said the Hancock Prospecting chairwoman prefers to give privately.
The spokesman said the mining billionaire had contributed to a collection for firefighting at a function at her home where 150 guests were present on Tuesday night.
Without being asked directly, the businesswoman also weighed in on the political debate about the causes of the devastating blazes which have killed 26 people, destroyed more than 2,000 homes and razed 10 million hectares of land.
Celeste Barber called out Gina Rinehart on Twitter after her silence during fundraising for victims of the devastating Australian bushfires
Gina Rinehart (pictured at Flemington Racecourse) hit back at Ms Barber’s tweet, with a spokesperson saying she had contributed to a collection for firefighting at a private function at her home
Celeste Barber’s tweet calling out Australia’s richest woman Gina Rinehart’s silence during the bushfire fundraisers
Fire and rescue personnel rush to move their truck from growing flames and thick smoke in Bilpin, New South Wales in December
‘(Mrs Rinehart) is most concerned that the true causes of this sad devastation are tackled, rather than missed in the rush to blame climate change,’ the spokesman said.
‘In particular, restrictions on building dams are lifted, the dangerous restrictions on allowing adequate fire breaks and restrictions on land clearing, which regulations have helped to cause life and stock losses, property damage, and damage to livelihoods and much suffering’.
Mrs Rinehart hasn’t been Barber’s only target as she has cajoled the wealthy to open their pockets for the bushfire appeal, as the likes of actor Chris Hemsworth and metal band Metallica have done.
Metallica released a statement to Instagram on Wednesday where they said they were ‘overwhelmed’ by the devastation in Australia and urged fans to ‘join’ them by donating to NSWRFS and CFAVic
Giving: Australian comedian Celeste Barber has given constant updates to her fundraiser through her social media channels, pictured with trolleys full of supplies destined for bushfire victims
The Australian bushfires have killed 26 people, destroyed more than 2000 homes and razed seven million hectares of land. Pictured: residents watching fire burn through bushland in Lake Tabourie on the New South Wales south coast
Ms Barber began her fundraiser for bushfire victims on Friday and within hours dollars were flooding in from across the globe – with the total now exceeding $40 million.
However, she has pointed out that despite the generosity, the donations are just a small percentage of what was quickly raised to rebuild Notre Dame cathedral in Paris after it caught fire in April last year.
Barber tweeted that the billionaires who forked out for Notre Dame’s reconstruction should contribute as well.
‘Hey billionaires, Notre Dam burning down sucked. I get it. Times that by a trillion and that’s what’s happening in Australia,’ she said.
‘Feel free to flick us a couple of million’.
More than AUD$1 billion (£650m) flooded in for the historic building, with the majority of the money coming from the mega-rich around the globe.
More than AUD$1 billion (£650m) flooded in to rebuild Notre Dame after a fire in April, with the majority of the money coming from the mega-rich around the globe
Ms Barber (pictured) began her fundraiser for bushfire victims on Friday and within hours dollars were flooding in from across the globe – with the total now exceeding $46 million
The burnt out remains of a house is seen from a bushfire in the Southern Highlands town of Wingello, 160km south west of Sydney
A firefighter before a wall of flames in a backburning operation along Putty Road in Sydney in November
‘Remember when Notre Dame burnt down – very sad, don’t get me wrong, RIP Notre Dame, history, building,’ she said in a post to Instagram.
‘And something like billions of dollars were raised, by I think like a handful of people. Where are those people now?
‘Because I tell you what, every day people are donating $10 here, $10 there, that’s what’s getting us to now $40 million, queens.
‘If the billionaires could flick us their version of $10, which is like a million euro, that would be amazing.’
Donation: Pink, real name Alecia Beth Moore, said on Saturday that she is ‘totally devastated’ and is pledging a donation of $500,000
‘My heart goes out to our friends and family in Oz,’ tweeted Pink
‘Devastated’: Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, whose Southern Highlands mansion is ‘under threat’ from the fires, donated $500,000 to the Rural Fire Services (RFS) over the weekend
Almost 1.2million people around the world have donated to Ms Barber’s fundraiser.
The money raised by Barber’s campaign will go to the registered charity NSW Rural Fire Service and Brigades Donations Fund. Pledged donations are due between 15 and 90 days.
While she initially intended that the money would go directly to The Trustee for NSW Rural Fire Services (RFS) and Brigades, Ms Barber said after feedback from donors it will now be shared around the country.
A spokesperson for the RFS told Daily Mail Australia they had been in discussion with Ms Barber about her wishes for how best to distribute the money when it is received.
‘Her people have spoken to our executives and are in ongoing discussions as to what will be done with the money when it comes through,’ an RFS spokesman said.
‘Nothing has been finalised as yet and it will take some times for those funds to be transferred, sometimes up to 90 days.’