Updated April 29, 2026 — 10:26am,first published April 29, 2026 — 9:39am
Save
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
AAA
Mining billionaire Gina Rinehart has gifted a private plane to soaring right-wing force One Nation, spurring party leader Pauline Hanson to brag on social media about the donation blitz, which also included $2 million in cash.
In a post to social media platform X on Wednesday morning, Hanson bragged about receiving a Cirrus G7 plane, which regularly sell for over $1.5 million, and thanked former Northern Territory chief minister Adam Giles and climate sceptic professor Ian Plimer for two donations of $500,000. Both Giles and Plimer are employed by billionaire Gina Rinehart.
“BREAKING NEWS – I’ve got a new plane, Sarah. Yes it was donated. Yes I’m super happy. Yes it’s fast. Yes it’s amazing. Yes it’s going to annoy the Guardian. Yes it means I can visit more regional towns across the country more often. Yes it’s a Cirrus G7. Yes it’s sexy. Yes I have a pilot. No I won’t be doing welcome to country each [time] we land. No it’s not battery operated,” Hanson wrote in her post.
“I want to pass on my sincere thanks to everyone who has made a contribution to One Nation over the years. I cannot thank you enough for the hope and encouragement you give me to help turn this country around.”
A spokesperson for Hanson confirmed on Wednesday morning that the plane was donated by Rinehart, a close personal ally of the party leader. The social media post published by Hanson did not reference where the plane had come from.
The reference to “Sarah” in the post is believed to be a dig at Guardian Australia journalist Sarah Martin, who has reported extensively on Hanson’s travel expenses, including on Rinehart’s private plane.
Pauline Hanson in the donated plane.X/@PaulineHansonOz
Hanson has repeatedly scoffed at criticism over her failure to declare flights taken on Rinehart’s private jet, as well as accusations she used taxpayer-funded trips to attend party fundraisers.
During a press conference last month, Hanson said her travel came at “no cost to the taxpayer” and questioned whether reporting was focused on Rinehart.
“Are you worried about whose plane it was on?” she asked.
In Wednesday’s social media post, Hanson attributed a $1 million donation to Angus and Sarah Aitken, who she described as “two wonderful, patriotic Australians”. Angus Aitken has previously donated $200,000 to right-wing campaign vehicle Advance, and $24,000 to the Liberal Party.
Aitken, a successful stockbroker, introduced Rinehart at Newscorp’s Bush Summit in Wagga Wagga last year, saying: “Today, I’m here to introduce my good friend Mrs Rinehart … she’s not just an Australian, you know, who’s successful in business. She’s a genuine patriot. She loves Australia more than anyone I know, and she is a warm and caring person who is very loyal.”
Two further donations, handed in the form of oversized cheques in a video attached to the X post, came from Plimer and Giles. Plimer is the executive director of Hancock Energy, and Giles is the head of Hancock Agriculture, both companies owned by Rinehart.
Giles led the Northern Territory’s Country Liberal Party from March 2013 to September 2016, and was chief minister for most of that period. He has since associated more closely with Hanson, donating a branded ute to the party this month.
Related Article
There are currently no caps to party donations, however the haul, which could easily exceed $3.5 million, will require disclosure by the party at the end of this year. Updated donation laws that will place caps on donations to parties and speed up disclosures have been delayed until the end of the year, but will come into effect before the next federal election.
“We have a lot of additional fundraising to undertake between now and the cut off in December to combat the uni-party ahead of the 2028 federal election,” Hanson said in her post.
While details on the model of plane were not made available through the post, information on the Cirrus website suggests the aircraft could travel between 700 and 1000 nautical miles in a single trip, enough to comfortably travel between Melbourne and Brisbane.
Rinehart has regularly loaned Hanson a plane to travel around the country.
Related Article
A byelection for the regional seat of Farrer will be held on May 9, with One Nation candidate David Farley in a close contest with independent Michelle Milthorpe to win the seat. It has been held for the last 25 years by former opposition leader Sussan Ley.
In the most recent Resolve Political Monitor conducted by this masthead, One Nation received a primary vote of 22 per cent, falling just behind the Coalition at 23 per cent. The minor party has twice outpolled the Liberals and Nationals in the past year.
The offices of Rinehart and Giles have been contacted for comment.
More to come.
Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.
Save
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
Nick Newling is a federal politics reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.From our partners