Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie slams ABC host Patricia Karvelas over Gina Rinehart question

Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie delivered a stunning rebuke to ABC host Patricia Karvelas after she tried to accuse the Opposition of being in cahoots with Australia’s richest person, reminding her that a strong mining industry helps fund the national broadcaster.

The Opposition transport spokeswoman was defending leader Peter Dutton after it emerged his office had approached mining giant Gina Rinehart to provide him with a private plane free of charge to a Bali Bombing Memorial in November 2022.

‘What does Gina Rinehart expect for that generosity?’, Karvelas asked Ms McKenzie on her RN Breakfast show on Friday.

The Nationals Senator dismissed the idea that Mrs Rhinehart, who is Australia’s richest person, would expect a ‘quid pro quo’ arrangement.

Instead, she sought to throw the criticism back on the Prime Minister, who is facing damaging allegations that he received Qantas upgrades on numerous occasions.

‘Peter Dutton got a flight that saved the Australian taxpayers $40,000 to a work event to commemorate the Bali bombing,’ Ms McKenzie said.

‘The Prime Minister may have sought – or not – flights for his family overseas while he was the Transport Minister protecting Qantas’ market share.’

But Karvelas continued with her line of questioning, repeatedly asking whether Mrs Rinehart would expect anything in return.

‘What does Gina Rinehart expect for that generosity?’, Karvelas asked Ms McKenzie on her RN Breakfast show on Friday

An audibly frustrated Ms McKenzie cut across the ABC host to say ‘Rinehart is not the problem’ and to suggest it was just an attempt to generate ‘clickbait’.

Mrs McKenzie then pointed out that the Coalition made no secret of its desire for a ‘strong, prosperous and sustainable mining industry’.

‘I can be really, really upfront with you. The Coalition are the friends of our mining and resource industry,’ she told Karvelas.

She added: ‘It is the basis of our strong economy. It is the basis of your public health system, and it funds our public education system, and 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.’

The ABC received a record $1.137 billion in taxpayer funds for the last financial year. 

Most of this funding comes from general government revenue, which is generated primarily through taxes on wages and, to some extent, from taxes on mining companies, the country’s largest export industry. 

The latest ATO Corporate Tax Transparency Report showed that Australia’s mining industry continues to be the nation’s biggest taxpayer, paying $43.1 billion in company tax for 2022-23.

The comments came after a week where the travel perks scandal dominated the political discussion. 

A new book called The Chairman’s Lounge by journalist Joe Aston alleges that Mr Albanese got 22 upgrades from economy on Qantas flights by personally requesting them from the airline’s then CEO Mr Joyce.

The Prime Minister denied the claims in a carefully-worded statement on Wednesday.

‘The prime minister did not ever call Alan Joyce seeking an upgrade,’ the statement said. 

The scandal has also engulfed the Opposition with Mr Dutton facing questions over his $40,000 free flight from MRs Rinehart.

On Tuesday, the Opposition Leader told journalists neither he nor his office had approached Ms Rinehart for a private flight taken in November 2022, but he backflipped on his answer two days later.

Peter Dutton has confirmed his office requested a private plane from Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart (pictured together)

Mr Dutton said that at the time he was travelling to Rockhampton and needed to travel to Sydney for a Bali memorial ceremony and was unable to source a commercial flight, which would then be needed to take him to Mackay.

‘We asked the government for a RAAF flight, they played games and they didn’t offer that flight, and at that point I think we had a charter estimate, which was about $40,000 to fly from Rockhampton to Sydney and then back to Mackay,’ he said.

‘I thought that was very expensive and the cheaper option for the taxpayer was for my office to speak to Mrs Rinehart’s office, as to whether the plane might be available.’

He took a parting shot at Mr Albanese stating: ‘That was at zero cost to the taxpayer.’

Nationals Senator Mrs McKenzie has also been caught out, admitting to the ABC she was wrong to be ‘so emphatic earlier this week’ when claiming she had never received a flight upgrade.

She has now requested a full database of flights she has taken and has vowed to declare any upgrades.