Hanson reveals who paid for Italy trip with Gina Rinehart

Lead

Pauline Hanson has confirmed that billionaire Gina Rinehart paid for her flights from London to Sicily during a recent European trip, according to an update to the One Nation leader's parliamentary register of interests. The declaration comes after days of scrutiny over the trip, which included attendance at a Dolce & Gabbana fashion show and a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in London.

Coverage comparison

Reports on Hanson's trip appeared across multiple outlets, each highlighting different aspects of the journey and its fallout. The initial story focused on the controversy surrounding her attendance at the fashion show and her meeting with Rinehart, with some coverage describing the trip as luxurious and drawing criticism from political opponents. Later reporting shifted toward the formal disclosure of how the trip was funded, after Hanson updated her parliamentary register of interests.

The trip, which lasted nearly two weeks, took in both Britain and Italy. Hanson attended the inaugural CPAC event in London, where she delivered a speech titled "The Australian Fight Back." During the same period, she was photographed at a Dolce & Gabbana fashion show in Sicily alongside Rinehart. Coverage of the event noted that Hanson and Rinehart were spotted together at the show, before the funding arrangement was formally declared.

Key claims

Funding disclosure

Hanson updated her parliamentary register of interests to confirm that Gina Rinehart paid for her flights from London to Sicily, a declaration that also covered her accommodation and meals during that leg of the trip. The update stated that Hanson personally covered her accommodation, meals, and daily expenses for the broader trip from July 11 to 16. This was the first time she had formally revealed how the travel was funded, despite earlier public insistence that taxpayers had not covered any of the costs.

It was noted that the disclosure did not include details of how her flights from Australia to the UK were funded. Under parliamentary rules, if Hanson had paid for those flights herself, she would not be required to declare them. Her office did not immediately provide further clarification on that point when asked.

Other gifts from Rinehart

The register update also highlighted a history of gifts from Rinehart to Hanson, including hospitality and a "bloody big orange bulldozer" that the billionaire gave to Hanson on stage at a political event, accompanied by a bulldozer sound effect. These prior declarations were referenced in reporting on the current trip as part of the broader context of their relationship.

CPAC speech and reception

Hanson addressed the CPAC conference in London at the InterContinental Hotel, delivering a speech titled "The Australian Fight Back." Reports noted that the audience for her address was relatively small, with fewer than a quarter of available seats filled. A separate gala dinner held the evening before was better attended, though media were not permitted to cover it.

In her speech, Hanson said Australia had "gone woke," criticized immigration levels, and argued that environmental policies were being prioritized too heavily. She also drew contrasts between the UK and Australia, saying that Australia was "five to 10 years behind England" in certain social trends.

"We're so stupid," she said, according to one report. "I'm not going to allow it to happen." She received a standing ovation from those in attendance.

The speech touched on themes of cultural change and national identityvb, with Hanson telling the audience she had visited east London and felt she was "in another country." She also made comments about race, saying, "Do not apologise for being white," and criticized what she described as an overemphasis on multiculturalism and trans rights.

Other notable figures at CPAC

Hanson was not the only political figure at the London conference. Nigel Farage and Liz Truss, the former British prime minister, also attended. Farage delivered a speech in which he warned that the UK was "less than a decade away from becoming a third-world country," according to reports. Hanson met with both Farage and Truss during the event.

Her appearance at CPAC came as part of a broader trip that also included the fashion show in Italy, where she was photographed alongside Rinehart. Earlier in the trip, Hanson said she visited multicultural communities in east London, an experience she described as a "rude awakening."

Response and context

Hanson's trip drew criticism from political opponents in Australia, including Opposition Leader Angus Taylor, who accused her of "living it up" overseas. Questions had been raised about who was funding the journey, with some calling for transparency around the arrangements.

Hanson previously insisted that Australian taxpayers had not funded the trip. The updated declaration confirms that Rinehart covered the international flights between London and Sicily, while Hanson paid for her own accommodation, meals, and daily expenses for the duration of the travel.