Hanson and Joyce bill taxpayers for flights to private events on luxury cruise ship hosted by Rinehart
Summary
Australian politicians Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce charged taxpayers over $3,000 for flights to attend private fundraising events on a luxury cruise ship owned by mining billionaire Gina Rinehart. The events included auctions and lunches, while current rules forbid claiming taxpayer money for fundraising travel unless related to parliamentary business.Key Facts
- Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce attended private events on the luxury ship The World in December 2023.
- The cruise ship is owned by mining billionaire Gina Rinehart, who has a multimillion-dollar apartment on board.
- The politicians used taxpayer funds to pay for flights to these events, totaling over $3,000.
- Australian parliamentary rules allow travel costs to be claimed only if the main purpose is parliamentary business, excluding fundraising.
- Rinehart hosted a fundraising event that auctioned off a dinner with U.S. President Donald Trump to raise $300,000 for Hanson’s One Nation party.
- Joyce claimed flights and accommodation costs for attending these events and described them as part of party political duties.
- Hanson also hosted a private lunch for business leaders on the ship while it was docked in Hobart.
- One Nation has not explained how Hanson and her daughter gained access to the exclusive cruise ship, which is limited to very wealthy residents and guests.
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