Former Liberal senator turned One Nation South Australian MLC Cory Bernardi has repaid more than $40,000 for flying on Gina Rinehart's private plane during the state's recent election campaign. Bernardi, who was elected to South Australia's legislative council in March, confirmed on Saturday that he had reimbursed a substantial sum to Rinehart's company, S Kidman & Co, to comply with new state laws prohibiting political parties and candidates from receiving electoral donations or gifts from individuals, businesses, or unions.
The flights, which took Bernardi between Adelaide, Mount Gambier, Maitland, and Coober Pedy, cost him in excess of $40,000. Despite the hefty repayment, Bernardi expressed no regrets, stating, "It was worth every cent to ensure that the remote and regional communities could have their voice heard and talk with the state and federal leaders of One Nation." He added, "It's great to be part of a team that recognises and respects those who feel they have been left behind by the uniparty duopoly. One Nation is, and will continue to be, the strongest voice for all South Australians."
Bernardi noted that he paid the account after receiving an invoice some weeks ago. One Nation's federal leader, Pauline Hanson, accompanied Bernardi on the flights on March 14 and 15. On her federal register of interests, she thanked S Kidman & Co's chief executive, Adam Giles, writing, "Wonderful catching a flight that doesn't try and welcome me to my own country each time it touches down."
Under the South Australian Electoral Act, a ban on corporate donations and a $5,000 individual cap for new entrants and some incumbents only applies to gifts used for state election purposes. If a donation or gift is classified as for a federal purpose, it falls under commonwealth law. Therefore, Hanson might have been within her rights to claim the gift of flights as part of her federal duties or national party leadership. When questioned about whether the gift breached South Australia's $5,000 donation cap, she deflected responsibility by claiming she was merely a "passenger" and that the financial liability was a matter for Bernardi alone.
Hanson has been forced to update her register at least five times in the past six months to include previously undeclared travel gifted by Rinehart's companies, including a private jet trip to Florida to attend a conservative conference. She has publicly maintained that her party was not financially reliant on Rinehart, stating in February, "If you are going to try to say that I am being funded by Gina Rinehart, the answer is no." Barnaby Joyce, who defected from the Nationals to One Nation last year, has told the Saturday Paper that Rinehart was a donor to the party.
The ban on political donations in South Australia is a world-first reform that carries a penalty of $50,000 or a maximum of 10 years' imprisonment. A spokesperson for Rinehart declined to comment.
