Live: Canavan says he would not have accepted paid trip after Hanson declares Italy stay

Lead

Nationals leader Matt Canavan says he would not have accepted a paid trip to Europe from a large benefactor, following One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's confirmation that mining magnate Gina Rinehart paid for her flights to Italy. The comments came as Pacific Island Affairs Minister Pat Conroy defended a $4.2 million government hotel reservation for a pre-COP meeting in Fiji, and Barnaby Joyce denied knowing who funded Hanson's trip.

Coverage comparison

ABC Australia reported on Wednesday that Canavan told Channel Nine he would not have accepted such an offer. "If a large benefactor offered me a holiday I'd say, 'Look, I'd prefer you just donate the money to a charity,'" he said, according to the report. "I wouldn't accept it."

Hanson updated her parliamentary register of interests on Tuesday, confirming Rinehart paid for her flights from London to Sicily, via Rome, and for her to attend a high-end fashion parade on the island. She stated she personally paid for her accommodation, meals, and other daily expenses during the trip from July 11 to 16, as reported by ABC Australia.

Separately, ABC Australia reported that Barnaby Joyce, speaking to 7.30, denied knowing whether Rinehart paid for Hanson's trip. "I don't know whether that's the case," Joyce said. "I suggested that it probably is, but I don't know, Sarah. So I haven't confirmed it. Maybe she did have paid for it all herself. I don't occupy my day worrying about what Pauline has paid for or hasn't paid for." He added that if she hadn't paid for it, "you'll be able to see it on the declaration of interest like everything else is." Asked what Rinehart gets out of her relationship with One Nation, Joyce said the answer was nothing: "She doesn't get anything. She's never asked me for anything. I've never offered her anything."

In a separate development, ABC Australia reported that Pacific Island Affairs Minister Pat Conroy, speaking to Channel Nine, defended the government's reservation of $4.2 million worth of luxury hotel rooms in Denarau for a pre-Conference of the Parties (COP) meeting in October. The reservation was first reported by The Australian. Conroy described the story as a "beat up" and said most of the costs would be recovered from foreign leaders and their delegations. He emphasized the reservation was necessary for the pre-COP meeting, which Australia is hosting as part of a deal with Türkiye to cede hosting rights for COP31, with Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen leading negotiations.

Conroy also discussed China's ballistic missile test with US counterparts during his trip to Washington. According to ABC Australia, Conroy said he briefed the US about Australia and the Pacific's reaction to the test. China test-fired a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a dummy warhead in the Pacific in early July. The missile flew over multiple Pacific islands and appeared to hit waters close to Tuvalu's exclusive economic zone. Conroy told Channel Nine: "The United States obviously shares similar concerns about the arms race we're seeing, the build-up of Chinese military without any strategic trust or transparency you would expect."

Key claims

• Matt Canavan said he would not have accepted a paid trip to Europe from a large benefactor, according to ABC Australia.
• Pauline Hanson confirmed Gina Rinehart paid for her flights from London to Sicily, and that she personally paid for her accommodation, meals, and other daily expenses, as reported by ABC Australia.
• Pat Conroy discussed China's ballistic missile test with US counterparts and briefed them on Australia and the Pacific's reaction, per ABC Australia.
• China test-fired a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile in the Pacific in early July, flying over multiple Pacific islands and appearing to hit waters close to Tuvalu's exclusive economic zone, as reported by ABC Australia.
• The government reserved $4.2 million worth of hotel rooms in Denarau for a pre-COP meeting, with most costs to be recovered from foreign leaders and delegations, according to ABC Australia, citing The Australian.
• Barnaby Joyce denied knowing who paid for Pauline Hanson's trip to Sicily, stating he doesn't occupy his day worrying about what Hanson has paid for, as reported by ABC Australia.
• Barnaby Joyce said Gina Rinehart gets nothing from her relationship with One Nation, claiming she has never asked him for anything and he has never offered her anything, per ABC Australia.