One Nation directed donations to leader Pauline Hanson’s personal bank account and despite declaring at least $2,558 in donations she has refused to say how the money was spent.
Former One Nation party treasurer, Ian Nelson, has complained about a lack of oversight of Hanson’s personal bank account, telling the Daily Telegraph there was “no way, in any way shape or form” the party could monitor the activities of the account.
Throughout 2016 and as recently as March 2017 the One Nation website advertised for donations to the party leader to be transferred to a Commonwealth Bank account in East Maitland in the name of Pauline Lee Hanson.
The personal bank account was advertised alongside a separate account for donations to the party.
Hanson’s candidate return to the Australian Electoral Commission shows that she declared a total of $2,558 to her personal campaign from 14 donors. The return covers the period up to 30 days after the 2 July election and it is not known whether she received individual donations after that time.
The One Nation website said that donations would be spent on election registration fees, office administration and candidate promotional expenses.
But the return does not declare any spending on advertisements or production of campaign material such as how to vote cards.
In response to questions about the donations, Hanson’s chief of staff, James Ashby, reportedly said that: “All money donated to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has been recorded and reported in accordance with the AEC and (Electoral Commission Queensland) guidelines”.
“Since the appointment of [party treasurer] Greg Smith in August 2016, a number of former One Nation accounts have been shut down, with records provided to relevant electoral bodies.”
Guardian Australia has contacted Hanson to ask what the $2,558 was spent on, what the total amount of donations to her personal account was and what oversight the party had on her personal account.
Nelson, who was ejected from One Nation in 2016, has since raised concerns about compliance with electoral disclosure laws, including telling Four Corners that Hanson said not to worry about disclosing the alleged donation of a Jabiru light aircraft or the funds to purchase the plane by property developer, Bill McNee.
Hanson had described the plane, which carries One Nation branding and was used for campaign purposes, as her own but Ashby now says the plane is his and the hours flown for party business have been declared in accordance with the AEC rules.
McNee denied funding the purchase of the plane, saying he had not funded the party beyond what was publicly disclosed.
In Senate estimates last week AEC officials confirmed the provenance and use of the plane is under official investigation, including the issue of a number of compulsory notices to produce evidence.
In a secret recording from November, released on Tuesday, Hanson expressed concern that media were about to reveal McNee’s identity and they had been told he had donated the plane to One Nation.
On Thursday Greens senator, Lee Rhiannon, wrote to the Australian Electoral Commissioner, Tom Rogers highlighting reports that donations were directed to Hanson’s personal bank account on One Nation’s website.
Rhiannon asked the commissioner to expand the AEC’s current investigation to specifically investigate personal donations to Hanson if it had not already inquired into that matter.
