Being ultra-wealthy isn’t as fun as you think. Just ask the ultra-wealthy

March 29, 2026 — 2:00am

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Pauline Hanson has been somewhat slow, or forgetful, in declaring the flights she has taken in the private jet belonging to Australia’s richest woman, billionaire Gina Rinehart.

In February, when Hanson was asked by reporters if she had received any free Gina-funded flights to travel to an event in Geelong, she said she couldn’t remember. That afternoon, her memory sparked, she updated her register of interests to include a Melbourne-Sydney flight on Rinehart’s dime. (Several other flights gifted by the billionaire have been declared outside the Senate’s 35-day period for disclosures.)

When asked about the free flights, Hanson tetchily points out that she is taking pressure off the taxpayer by having her flights paid for privately. It must require a high tolerance for cognitive dissonance – to found a movement on taking the fight to the elites, while simultaneously taking flights from elites. But like all populist movements, One Nation needs to stay within calling distance of wealthy donors.

The Trump administration has woven billionaire donors and backers into the fabric of its administration like never before in history.

The major donor to Reform UK, the Nigel Farage vanity-vehicle that Hanson hopes to emulate, is Christopher Harborne, a Thailand-based British billionaire and cryptocurrency investor. Farage has promised that his party would turn the UK into a cryptocurrency hub, slashing capital gains tax on it. Harborne says he has not asked for anything in return for his donations.

Pauline Hanson gushes over Gina Rinehart’s planes after free flights

John BuckleyCBD columnist

Suddenly, the world seems to be teeming with the ultra-rich, from those who project........

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