One Nation to lease Brisbane HQ from Rinehart at 'commercial rates'

Barnaby Joyce stood by One Nation's decision this week to move the party's national headquarters into a multimillion-dollar Brisbane office tower, insisting the arrangement with mining billionaire Gina Rinehart would be strictly commercial. The three-storey Spring Hill building, valued at approximately $8 million, was purchased last week by Hanrine, Rinehart's property investment company. Once renovations are complete, One Nation will relocate from its current Brisbane airport office to the new space.

Joyce told News24 that the party would pay market rates for the lease, rejecting any suggestion of preferential treatment. "I don't live in her pocket," he said. "It's her building, it's her lease. We're leasing it off her at commercial rates." He emphasized that One Nation would cover the costs from its own party funds rather than drawing on parliamentary resources, which under commonwealth rules are available only for elected officials, not political parties themselves. "We can put on the taxpayers' ticket but we don't," Joyce said. "We always make sure we pay for things ourselves as best we can in One Nation."

Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting issued a statement confirming the arrangement: "Hancock Prospecting holds a range of commercial property, and this building is one of them. Hancock is not providing free or discounted space to any outside tenant, political or otherwise." The building itself is substantial—property data shows it last sold for $2.4 million in 2003. Real estate listings describe two upper levels of office space with a top-floor balcony overlooking the city, ground-level retail and showroom areas, and ten secure car parks.

Yet the timing and context of the announcement sit uneasily against a broader pattern of financial entanglement between Rinehart and One Nation that has emerged in recent months. The Guardian's podcast series The Populist has documented numerous instances in which Pauline Hanson and Joyce have received gifts or benefits from the billionaire. In April, Hanson and Joyce stayed overnight at Rinehart's $20 million Brisbane mansion following fundraising events for the party. During one visit, Joyce conducted a live television interview with Channel Seven's Sunrise program from what appeared to be a bedroom in Rinehart's home. Joyce claimed on Monday he had not spoken to Rinehart in six months.

The undeclared benefits extend further. Hanson has been using one of Rinehart's bodyguards—a man who has been among the billionaire's closest security staff for more than a decade—for her personal protection in Perth and Canberra. In April, Rinehart gifted Hanson a private aircraft valued at more than $1.5 million. One Nation has also failed to declare multiple flights provided by Hancock Prospecting to Hanson dating back to August of last year, including trips to a Conservative Political Action Conference in Florida and to Donald Trump's Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago.

Hanson herself has characterized the relationship as something beyond a simple donor arrangement. She told ABC radio in Perth in June that she considers Rinehart an unofficial policy adviser to her and the party. "My policy on pensioners being able to work unlimited hours and without losing their pension or healthcare card came from Mrs Rinehart," Hanson said. "I consider her a friend and I'm very grateful for her support. She's an Australian identity, she's one of the highest taxpayers in the country."

The office lease announcement arrives as One Nation faces scrutiny over multiple breaches of Senate rules related to undeclared gifts from Rinehart. The party's relocation to a building owned by the same billionaire who has already provided aircraft, accommodation, security personnel, and policy input raises fresh questions about the nature and extent of Rinehart's influence over One Nation's operations and direction. Whether the commercial lease arrangement will satisfy parliamentary oversight bodies remains to be seen.