Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie says the Coalition is a friend of the mining and resource industry and that Gina Rinehart doesn’t expect anything in return for free flights given to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton amid an expanding furore over politicians’ travel perks.
McKenzie is also defending her own conduct after she admitted she had accepted upgrades that she hadn’t declared, requesting records from airlines to put together a full account of her travel.
The senator spoke to ABC’s RN Breakfast to defend Dutton after he admitted he requested a free plane ride to a Bali bombing memorial from billionaire Gina Rinehart, a request he had previously denied making.
Peter Dutton says his office asked to use Gina Rinehart’s private jet.Credit: Hancock Prospecting
After stating that Dutton saved the taxpayer $40,000 by taking a free ride, McKenzie denied that Rinehart expected anything in return.
“No, I don’t think so,” she replied when asked if the favour would need to be returned.
McKenzie then raised Rinehart’s support for Australia’s Olympic swimmers and rowers as proof that the billionaire supported causes altruistically.
“I don’t think we need to always think that people assisting has a quid pro quo, and that’s why it’s important to have public declarations and important to look at behaviour.”
Pushed on the perceived conflict of interest, McKenzie weaved the question, saying the Coalition wanted a “strong, prosperous and sustainable mining industry”.
Host Patricia Karvelas persevered with the line of questioning as McKenzie interrupted to say, “Rinehart is not the problem”, and to suggest bringing up the mining magnate was “clickbait”.
McKenzie eventually responded:
I can be really, really upfront with you. The Coalition are the friends of our mining and resource industry.
We do believe in a prosperous and sustainable mineral resource industry going forward. It is the basis of our strong economy. It is the basis of your public health system, and it funds our public education system. So if you care and the ABC, things like the ABC, great public institutions that are free to access to all Australians are funded because we have such a successful resource industry.
I don’t think we need Gina Rinehart to influence us to be very, very clear as a Coalition, to state our support for a sustainable resource industry now, you know, and I think that’s important to state.”
