Key facts
- Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce stayed at Gina Rinehart's $20m Brisbane mansion.
- The stays occurred after One Nation fundraising events.
- Joyce conducted a TV interview from the mansion on April 13.
- Hanson and Joyce declared flights on April 13 courtesy of Hancock Prospecting.
- Parliamentary rules require declaration of gifts or hospitality valued over $300.
- Hanson has been using one of Rinehart's long-term bodyguards for personal security.
Australian politicians Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce stayed overnight at Gina Rinehart's $20 million Brisbane mansion following fundraising events for One Nation. Guardian Australia revealed these details, underscoring the relationship between the mining magnate and the political party.
On one occasion, Barnaby Joyce conducted a live television interview with Channel Seven’s Sunrise program from what appears to be a bedroom in Rinehart's home on the morning of Monday, April 13. This followed a fundraising event at the mansion the previous evening. Parliamentary expenditure records confirm that both Hanson and Joyce declared flights on April 13, provided courtesy of Hancock Prospecting, Rinehart's company. Flight-tracking data showed they flew on Rinehart's private jet from Brisbane to Sydney that afternoon.
The accommodation at Rinehart's home has not been declared to parliament, which mandates that gifts or hospitality valued over $300, or any interest where a conflict of interest could foreseeably arise, must be declared. The guidelines define "hospitality" to include "free or concessional accommodation." Joyce told Guardian Australia that Rinehart was a "long-term friend over decades not a motel" and that he does not charge friends or family for stays.
Guardian Australia also reported that Hanson has been using one of Rinehart's long-term bodyguards for her personal security. This individual has been seen escorting Hanson in Perth and Canberra and has been one of Rinehart's close bodyguards for over a decade. A post from 2023 indicated he was listed as an employee of Hancock Energy, though it is unclear if he remains employed by Hancock Prospecting.
This comes after previous reports of One Nation failing to declare flights gifted by Hancock Prospecting to Hanson. Despite these undeclared benefits, One Nation's national director, James Ashby, stated in December that the party had not received money from Rinehart, and Hanson told reporters in February she was not being funded by her. Labor senator Murray Watt criticized Hanson for concealing these links, suggesting it indicated "a guilty conscience" and a desire to gain benefits without responsibilities.