‘What’s the problem?’: Barnaby Joyce defends Pauline Hanson’s luxury Italy getaway
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One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce has defended party leader Pauline Hanson after she was spotted poolside with billionaire Gina Rinehart at a luxury Italian resort.
The One Nation leader and mining magnate, who is a benefactor for the party, were snapped this week in the Sicilian holiday town of Taormina, made famous in season two of The White Lotus.
Pauline Hanson snapped at the Sicilian hotel. Instagram
Joyce said the Italian jaunt was simply a holiday.
“It’s a holiday, isn’t it? I mean, I don’t care if it’s Dolce Gabbana or Prada, as long as you’re paying for it, darling, I don’t care,” Joyce told Today.
“A person’s allowed to have free time and she’s having free time over there.”
Joyce revealed he, too, will be headed over to Italy shortly to meet his daughter’s partner’s family, but brushed off concerns Hanson’s trip might be funded by her friend and benefactor, Rinehart.
“I don’t know, I imagine I would say it’d be a fair bet that Gina has supported it somehow, I’m just being straight with you... but it’s her money, it’s her time and it’s school holidays, so if they’ve taken some time off to go to a resort, well, good luck to them,” he said.
“I mean, it wouldn’t blow my hair back, I think, but I’m not really cut out for that type of stuff.”
Barnaby Joyce doesn’t think it’s a big deal Pauline Hanson is on an Italian getaway with mining magnate, Gina Rinehart. Today
Joyce said he does not know if Hanson intends to declare her Italy trip when she returns to work, but maintained he does not believe it is a conflict she is with Rinehart.
“If you’re friends with them, what’s the problem? I’m mates with people... do we have a sort of a list of people that we can be mates with and list we can’t?” he said.
“If someone believes in you, I suppose they’re going to be friends and there’s nothing too unusual about that.”
Hanson has also been working on her overseas trip, visiting the UK to appear on the podcast of controversial far-right activist, Tommy Robinson.
She fuelled speculation on the episode that her daughter Lee could one day lead One Nation, but assured she wouldn’t make it easy.
“She’s got the potential, but I don’t believe in nepotism and she has to prove herself, not only to me, but also to the other members and to the public and everything like that,” she said.
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