Labor has questioned whether the federal government allowed Pauline Hanson to announce an $8m grant in Rockhampton as part of a deal with One Nation.
The Morning Bulletin reported the $8m grant for the Fitzroy Community Hospice on 28 August, quoting Hanson saying she had secured funding and that until she lobbied the federal treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, no local parliamentarians had done likewise.
The local National MP Michelle Landry has hit back at that claim, telling Guardian Australia she fought hard for the service and “I’m the federal member and we are the ones who write the cheques”.
The spat follows a similar incident in September 2020 when Hanson personally took credit for a $23m taxpayer-funded federal grant to build a stadium in Rockhampton, announcing the government’s decision to fund it with a novelty cheque bearing her face.
The Nationals MP and now deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, told Guardian Australia in October he suspected it was part of a “deal” with Hanson, and Labor asked the auditor general to investigate.
On Tuesday, Labor’s Murray Watt told the Senate that “very mysterious things seem to be happening in central Queensland, particularly Rockhampton”.
Watt said the hospice project was a “good project” but questioned why “federal government funding is being announced by a One Nation senator when the last time I looked this was in the electorate of Capricornia held by government member Michelle Landry”.
“Why is senator Hanson getting to announce $8m of federal government funding?
“Is this part of some deal with the federal government? We know that senator Hanson is the most reliable ally the LNP has in this chamber, voting with them almost every single time.
“Is this what she gets in return – she gets the ability to go out and announce government funding instead of government members?”
Hanson has previously brushed off suggestions of a “deal” in relation to the stadium grant, accusing the Nationals of “laziness” and labelling the accusation “pure jealousy”.
On 29 August, Landry and Joyce published a statement with Fitzroy Community Hospice board chair, Vicki Richmond, re-announcing the grant.
Frydenberg told Guardian Australia the hospice funding was “jointly announced by the deputy prime minister and the federal member for Capricornia” and credited Landry for securing “this important funding”.
“As treasurer I receive many representations from members of parliament and the public,” he said.
“Few representations are more passionate than those from the member for Capricornia Michelle Landry who is always looking for ways to support her local community.”
Hanson reportedly told the Bulletin she was “pleased to announce that I have been successful in my pursuit of the $8m that will provide a 12-bed facility for all central Queensland residents”.
“It’s something I’ve been through with my own parents and it’s for this reason I’ve pushed so hard for this money. I first met the proponents at Beef Week this year and it was after that discussion that I made it my number one priority.”
Steve Richards, the treasurer of Fitzroy Community Hospice, told Guardian Australia they had “been lobbying our local politicians for nearly 12 months”, including Landry and state MPs Barry O’Rourke and Brittany Lauga.
He said Hanson met the proponents at their stall at Beef Week in May, photos of which were used to illustrate the story announcing the grant.
Richards said Landry had discussed the business case with them in June, but the grant wasn’t finalised until a formal letter arrived from the infrastructure department in the past few weeks.
Asked if the hospice had informed Hanson it had received the grant, Richards replied that she was “involved in lobbying for it” and “definitely knew” the outcome of the grant already. “I was surprised to see it in the paper, yes,” he said.
Landry said she had “fought hard for this service as it is absolutely crucial that comprehensive access to community-based palliative care is available in central Queensland”.
“I have been in discussions with the Fitzroy Community Hospice since mid-to-late 2020,” she said. “In June 2021, I met with the board at the Fitzroy Community Hospice site with the former deputy prime minister.”
Landry said she welcomed Hanson’s interest and the One Nation leader could “claim whatever she likes however the LNP are in federal government”.
“I’m the federal member and we are the ones who write the cheques,” she said. “I have been lobbying the deputy prime minister for quite some time for this project and at the end of the day he is the one who signs off on this funding.”
Meanwhile, Hanson has also been forced to repay $165,000 to the Australian Electoral Commission and sign an enforceable undertaking related to claims for election expenses.
According to the AEC, “a final claim lodged by Pauline Lee Hanson with the Australian Electoral Commission on 15 November 2020 was found to be deficient insofar as a number of expenditure items could not be substantiated”.
This was either because the expenditure “had not been incurred” or was not electoral expenditure.
The One Nation leader had claimed a total of $2.84m, but the AEC approved only $2.67m, with the party paying back $165,442.03 following the AEC’s review.
As part of the enforceable undertaking signed by Hanson in June, she has committed to ensuring that all future invoices lodged with the AEC are in order, with invoices supported with receipts, credit card or bank statements.
A spokesman for One Nation said claims following the last federal election, “were initially accepted by the AEC and reimbursed to candidates”.
“Upon an AEC review of all political parties, some claims were later rejected, triggering a recall of funding.
“One Nation’s national body repaid the AEC and have not sought repayment from candidates.”