27
Gina Rinehart funded flights and fashion show for Pauline Hanson
(www.sbs.com.au)
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
this post was submitted on 28 Jul 2026
27 points (96.6% liked)
Australian Politics
1842 readers
86 users here now
A place to discuss Australia Politics.
Rules
This community is run under the rules of aussie.zone.
Recommended and Related Communities
Be sure to check out and subscribe to our related communities on aussie.zone:
- Australia (general)
- Australian News
- World News (from an Australian Perspective)
- Aussie Environment
- Ask an Australian
- AusFinance
- Pictures
- AusLegal
- Aussie Frugal Living
- Cars (Australia)
- Coffee
- Chat
- Aussie Zone Meta
- bapcsalesaustralia
- Food Australia
Plus other communities for sport and major cities.
https://aussie.zone/communities
founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
Controversial take, but I don't have as huge an issue with this. Senator Hanson is upfront about the gifts, it's all in the open. She's clear that Ms Rinehart is a friend and speaks to her about government policy. Gina is also pretty straight-up about her agenda and a desire to turn Australia MAGA. This influence is crystal clear. We (the public) are aware that this is happening and have the ability and opportunity to decide whether we will accept this relationship in our public figures (and vote accordingly). A straight-up transfer of money in return for senatorial votes would be corruption and a step too far. Yes, this friendship skirts that line pretty damn closely.
I have far more issues with billionaires influencing politics inside a veil of secrecy. We all know it is happening, but we don't know for certain who those billionaires and politicians are, nor what policies they're talking about.
I do have obvious concerns with the Gina/Pauline BFF thing, but I think the "secret mates" are a bigger problem.
They've taken every opportunity to keep their close relationship and friendship low key. This is because it seems a genuine personal relationship, but there is genuine public interest in this relationship which they are only forthcoming about because of media spotlighting. So many would not, and still don't, know about this power-pair if it weren't for a significant and ongoing campaign journalistically uncovering this relationship.
I say journalistically, because many people in WA already are well aware of this relationship, but thats through the gossip grapevine, not established facts.
All in all, I think that comment is going very easy on actions Rhinehart and Hanson cynically wouldn't be upfront about if they hadn't been 'humiliated' into it. In other words I tip my hat to Guardian, ABC, Michael West and the many other journalists in the country who've actually delivered a public good for the community in this instance.
Despite my differences with senator Hanson (and boy howdy, there are many), I will respect that what you see is what you get with her. She has one trick, and she does it openly and honestly. She hasn't tried hiding expenses, she stomps on people in her own party when they are caught out and doesn't try to defend them. I even think she was treated a bit harshly in 2003 when she was imprisoned for electoral fraud. I have never begrudged her existence, nor the rights of the whackos who have repeatedly voted for her. I see value in her as a litmus test of that end of the scale in the electorate. Yes she is racist. She, she is frankly awful. But on the other hand, those things are not against the law.
These two have been associated with one another in the public mind for about 18 months now. There has been intense scrutiny on them since they went to the US President's Halloween party last year. They've both spoken publicly about their friendship when asked about it. As to keeping it low-key, how much do we know about the friends of any politician? They didn't raise it, but didn't shy away from it either.
I actually worked with the Minister of Veteran Affairs 25 years ago when he was a uni student. While we not exactly close, I'd have called him a mate at that time (I haven't heard from him since I left there in 2004). So there's a little low-key disclosure for you. ๐
I will admit there's something oddly refreshing about seeing a reactionary dipshit politician openly being carried about by a billionaire like a handbag chihuahua ...but I don't want Hanson to get anything behind her that would give her the means to be even more of a shit.