Rinehart Accused of Trying to Recruit Liberal MP to One Nation

Australia's richest person, Gina Rinehart, has allegedly attempted to recruit a sitting federal Liberal MP to join One Nation, a move that has raised questions about her influence on Australian politics.

According to Coalition sources, Rinehart asked Liberal National MP Henry Pike if he was thinking of joining One Nation or would ever consider it during a lunch at one of her holiday homes on the Sunshine Coast.

The lunch, which took place in January, was also attended by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, her then chief-of-staff James Ashby, and federal MP Barnaby Joyce. Mr. Pike represents the seat of Bowman for Queensland's Liberal National Party and has previously held fundraisers hosted by Mrs. Rinehart.

In a statement, Mr. Pike said: "I have enormous respect for Mrs. Rinehart and all she has achieved."

"But I am, and always will be, a Liberal," he added. "I believe in the Liberal Party, in our leadership, in our values that shaped modern Australia, and in our ability to do it all again. Australia's future is too important for political opportunism."

Rinehart's support for One Nation has coincided with the party's transformation into a third force in Australian politics, raising questions about her influence. She has praised Senator Hanson and her policies, while also hosting fundraisers and providing advice to the party.

In an interview with local radio, Senator Hanson said she had consulted with Rinehart over various policies. "My policy on pensioners being able to work unlimited hours and without losing their pension or their health care card came from Mrs. Rinehart," she said.

Rinehart has also made significant donations to One Nation, including gifting a plane worth more than $1.5 million to the party. Two of her executives, Adam Giles and Ian Plimer, each donated $500,000 to the party in April.

The Coalition has written to the government asking if it had concerns about whether Giles and Plimer made the donations on behalf of a third party and whether they would be investigated. Garth Hamilton, the LNP member for Groom, said the donations deserved further scrutiny.

"Those are big donations. I think if you ask that question at the pub, a lot of people would have questions about that," he said.

"Whether it's donations from groups like Climate 200 or whether it's the influence of other businesspeople, there's scrutiny that should always be applied. These ones stand out."

The Australian Electoral Commission said there had been no official inquiries made into these donations.