Australia’s richest person Gina Rinehart has called on the mining sector to push its own workers and advocates into parliament, so they can tear up environmental regulation she warns is jeopardising the industry’s ability to maintain its current levels of production.

In a speech to mining executives and Liberal leader Peter Dutton at her Roy Hill mine on Wednesday, Mrs Rinehart took aim at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for taking overseas trips to spruik trade while his government was handcuffing local industry.