Pauline Hanson hits out at London hotel reports
Pauline Hanson has confirmed One Nation paid travel costs for a $900-a-night hotel in London during her recent trip to Europe, but insisted the rooms were not left empty when she flew to meet Gina Rinehart in Sicily.
A room was booked for the One Nation leader at the Conrad London St James Hotel in July, which averages £450 ($860) a night during peak season, insiders told The Sydney Morning Herald.
The Conrad London St James hotel in London. Expedia
It was reported she left the room vacant for five days as she met Australia’s richest person poolside at a luxury hotel in Sicily.
Hanson denied those allegations and also reiterated that money raised from the almost $5 million “fire the liar” donation campaign was not used in any way for the trip and is kept in a separate trust. There is no suggestion Hanson or One Nation have acted improperly.
Hanson did concede One Nation paid for the travel costs after claiming Channel Seven was initially meant to cover part of the expenses to shoot an episode of its Spotlight program.
“They pulled out forcing One Nation to cover all travel costs,” she said in a social media post on Thursday.
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Hanson has previously said she personally paid for her accommodation, meals and daily expenses as questions mounted on how her Europe trip was funded.
On Thursday, she insisted her accommodation in London was cancelled while she was in Italy and said she had provided an invoice to a News Corp journalist to prove otherwise.
A screenshot of the invoice published online showed Hanson paid $900-a-night for the accommodation from July 15 to July 19.
Australia’s richest person Gina Rinehart spotted with Pauline Hanson at a luxury hotel in Sicily. Instagram
In her public declaration of interests, Hanson declared Rinehart paid for her flights between London, Rome and Sicily and attendance to the Dolce & Gabbana show from July 11 to July 16.
A One Nation spokesman told nine.com.au the party provides discretionary travel to elected members and senior party executives where necessary.
“Shining a light on England’s poorly managed immigration system was deemed a worthy travel expense when Channel Seven’s Spotlight pulled their commitment to pay for travel and accommodation,” he said.
Hanson previously insisted her “fact-finding mission” in Europe did not cost taxpayers a cent.
Greens Leader Larissa Waters said Hanson’s admission was “as out of touch as it gets”.
“At a time when families are struggling to make ends meet, she’s helping herself instead of the people she claims to represent,” she told nine.com.au.
“This shows exactly Pauline Hanson’s true colours and who she is really working for.
“While talking about helping battlers, she’s rubbing shoulders with billionaires and spending her members’ money on five-star hotels.”
Shadow treasurer Tim Wilson accused Hanson of being part of the “global elite”.
“We have people who donate to her party from their limited savings, they’re struggling to get ahead and now we find it’s going towards luxury hotel rooms in London,” he told Today.
“This seems like a pretty clear betrayal of the people she claims to represent.”
Nine is the owner of The Sydney Morning Herald and this website.
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