One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has confirmed that mining billionaire Gina Rinehart paid for her flights from London to Sicily via Rome, as well as her attendance at a Dolce & Gabbana fashion parade, after updating her parliamentary register of interests on Tuesday — ending weeks of public speculation about who footed the bill for her mid-July European trip.
The disclosure covers the period from July 11 to 16, during which the pair were photographed together at the Grand Hotel San Pietro in Taormina, Sicily, drawing significant scrutiny over the nature and funding of the visit. Hanson declared she personally covered her accommodation, meals and other day-to-day expenses, and maintained that taxpayers had not contributed "one cent" to the trip.
What the register reveals — and what it doesn't
The updated register details Rinehart's payment for the European legs of Hanson's journey — specifically the flights between London, Rome and Sicily — along with the tickets to the high-profile Dolce & Gabbana event. However, no reference was made to how Hanson's original flights from Australia to London were paid for. Under parliamentary rules, senators are only required to declare gifts and travel benefits received from third parties, meaning that if Hanson paid for her own Australia-to-London travel, no declaration would be required.
Questions have also been raised about whether a television production company covered any portion of UK travel costs. Hanson last week shared what appeared to be a pitch document from the producers of a current affairs program, which had planned to film her meeting with UK Reform Party leader Nigel Farage in Britain. That meeting did not eventuate after Farage resigned from parliament around the time they were scheduled to meet. The program later clarified it paid only for "incidentals" related to separate London filming, including a vehicle, a hotel room used as a filming location, and security for production staff.
During her UK visit, Hanson participated in a podcast and a public street walk with British far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose legal name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon and who has a substantial criminal record including convictions for assault, fraud and contempt of court.
A growing relationship between Hanson and Rinehart
The Sicilian trip is the latest in a string of disclosed gifts and benefits Hanson has received from Rinehart and her company, Hancock Prospecting. Previous declarations have included interstate flights, corporate hospitality, and — perhaps most memorably — a brand new $1 million Cirrus G7 aircraft, which Hanson received in April and described as "sexy" and "fast." At a separate regional event, Rinehart gifted Hanson what was described as a "bloody big orange bulldozer" while making bulldozer sounds on stage.
The relationship between the two figures appears to have deepened as Hanson's political fortunes have improved. The latest polling puts One Nation at 22 per cent in Victoria, behind Labor and the Coalition — which are tied at 27 per cent each — its strongest showing in years. For more on how that support base has been shifting, see our earlier reporting on how support for Hanson and One Nation has evolved among key voter groups.
One Nation's Victorian push
The register update came on the same day Hanson made a high-profile television appearance to announce One Nation's plans for the upcoming Victorian state election. She said the party had secured candidates for approximately 74 of Victoria's 88 electorates and expected to contest every seat. Upper house candidates were set to be announced as early as Friday, with lower house contenders and a state policy platform to follow.
Hanson said the party had received around 1,200 expressions of interest from prospective Victorian candidates and approximately 1,500 nationally for the federal election. She declined to name who would lead the party at a state level. The party's only current Victorian representative, Shepparton-based upper house MP Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell, was formally re-endorsed on Tuesday.
Hanson argued Victoria had become a "basket case," pointing to the recent leadership change that saw Ben Carroll replace Jacinta Allan as premier as evidence of voter appetite for alternatives to the major parties.
The campaign push has not been without internal friction. It is understood some prospective candidates raised concerns about delays, a lack of transparency around campaign structure, and fees of up to $5,500 associated with running as a candidate. Questions were also raised internally about confidentiality agreements and whether the party had built sufficient organisational infrastructure for a major state contest. One Nation defended the secrecy, arguing that campaign strategy needed to be shielded from leaks.
Hanson said the party had introduced significantly more rigorous candidate vetting processes, including the use of advanced technology, ahead of both the Victorian and federal elections — an apparent response to years of candidate controversies that have periodically damaged the party's credibility.
