The One Nation MPs Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce have used a private jet owned by the mining magnate Gina Rinehart to tour flood-affected Queensland communities.
Joyce, who defected from the Nationals last month, said the pair were saving taxpayers’ money by using the Gulfstream G700 plane and a helicopter at the weekend, including to meet with mayors in north Queensland.
He confirmed that the plane, whose registration is linked to the Bank of Utah, had been provided by the Hancock Prospecting boss.
Rinehart has previously provided travel for the former opposition leader Peter Dutton and is a longtime backer of Hanson and Joyce.
The pair were photographed exiting the plane with grocery bags in Mount Isa on Sunday, before a flight to Julia Creek, with images posted to social media.
“I’ve got no problems with that at all,” Joyce said on Monday. “Would people prefer the taxpayer pay for it?”
Last month Guardian Australia revealed that Hanson and her chief of staff, James Ashby, had flown to Florida on Rinehart’s jet in October. During the trip, Rinehart and Hanson attended a Great Gatsby-themed Halloween party at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.
Under parliamentary rules for members’ interests, a declaration must be made of any sponsored travel or hospitality received where the value of the sponsorship or hospitality exceeds $300.
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The rules require updates within 28 days for lower house members and within 35 days for senators.
After Guardian Australia published details of Hanson’s flight, her office lodged an amendment to the registrar of senators’ interests, properly declaring the sponsored travel.
Joyce said the Queensland visit was an important sign of support for towns being battered by heavy rain and flooding from ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji. Cyclone warnings were cancelled but residents still faced the threat of major flooding as heavy rain continued to pummel the region.
“With a lot of these things, you’d be more noted by your absence than your participation,” Joyce said.
“Just like the Labor party and the Liberal party being there to support, One Nation chose to be there to hear back from the locals. We wanted to find out what are the issues that are important to them, for us to go in and fight to get them back on their feet after what was devastating flooding.
“The polling shows that One Nation is no longer a minor party, as it’s got a substantive following, and therefore you have to pick up the work rate to reflect that.”
A poll by Demos, for Capital Brief last week, found primary support for One Nation had risen to above 20%, putting it neck and neck with the Coalition.
Joyce joined One Nation in early December, ending weeks of speculation about his defection from the Nationals. Some in parliament expect him to replace Hanson as the party’s leader sometime after the next election, due in 2028.
