World's Wealthiest Woman Tells People to Stop Envying the Rich & Work Harder, Gov't Officials Flip Out

Australian mining tycoon Gina Rinehart on Thursday was heavily criticized by her government for saying people who want to be successful should stop being jealous of others, "spend less time drinking," and work harder, AFP reports.

Assorted members of Australia’s government called her comments "insulting."

Wait, "insulting"? What did multi-billionaire Rinehart say?

"There is no monopoly on becoming a millionaire," she wrote in an article for an industry magazine.

"If you're jealous of those with more money, don't just sit there and complain. Do something to make more money yourself -- spend less time drinking or smoking and socialising, and more time working,” she added.

"Become one of those people who work hard, invest and build, and at the same time create employment and opportunities for others."

Suggesting that those who work harder, tend to get ahead in life isn't exactly an outlandish assertion.

Rinehart also criticized what she referred to as "socialist" policies that have hurt the poor and recommended Australian politicians to lower the nation’s minimum wage and taxes.

"The terrible millionaires and billionaires can often invest in other countries... maybe their teenagers don't get the cars they wanted, or a better beach house or maybe the holiday to Europe is cut short, but otherwise life goes on," she wrote.

"The millionaires and billionaires who choose to invest in Australia are actually those who most help the poor and our young. This secret needs to be spread widely," she added.

Of course, just like we would expect in the U.S., government officials slammed Rinehart's anti-tax, pro-growth remarks.

"These sorts of comments are an insult to the millions of Australian workers who go to work and slog it out to feed the kids and pay the bills," said Treasurer Wayne Swan, adding that Rinehart is incorrect to think that Australians as "lazy workers who drink and socialise too much.”

But Swan’s attack shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. He’s made a bit of a name for himself by attacking Australia’s mining tycoons.

“Swan has repeatedly attacked Rinehart, coal magnate Clive Palmer and iron ore baron Andrew Forrest for running ‘self-interested’ campaigns against the centre-left Labor government's taxes on mining profits and pollution,” AFP reports.

And Swan is not alone in his disdain for the mining tycoon.

Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said it was "pretty easy for Gina Rinehart to say that people on the minimum wage should get paid less.”

The left-leaning Greens party ridiculed Rinehart for having "accumulated wealth from her family."

True, she does come a well-to-do family, but her successes in the mining industry along with her uncanny ability to create wealth for herself and her employees might indicate that she is capable of doing a little more than coasting on inherited wealth.

And don’t forget the unions! According to Australia’s mining union, Rinehart’s article was "bizarre" and showed that she held a "dangerous" agenda.

"At the same time as trying to import cheap foreign labour and avoid paying tax, Rinehart claims it's millionaires and billionaires who are the greatest for social good," said Australian mining union president Tony Maher.

"What planet is she living on? She should spend less time ranting and more time sharing," he added.

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(H/T: myfoxdc.com). This story has been updated.