Pauline Hanson Meets Gina Rinehart at Sicilian Resort

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson took a break from her speaking tour of England to spend time with Gina Rinehart at the Grand Hotel San Pietro in Taormina, Sicily. Photos posted to Instagram show Hanson poolside while Rinehart swims. Rinehart attended a Dolce e Gabbana fashion show in Taormina on Monday.

Hanson has been overseas since the Australian parliament rose for the winter recess almost two weeks ago. She met leaders of Britain’s far right and sat for an interview with Tommy Robinson that has not yet aired. Robinson described Hanson as “one of the bravest ladies on the planet” and a future leader of Australia.

An exclusive Resolve Political Monitor poll shows One Nation support slipped three points in July to 26 per cent, while the Coalition rose three points to 23 per cent. Labor support was steady at 28 per cent and the Greens unchanged at 12 per cent. Hanson’s support as preferred prime minister fell 8 points to 25 per cent.

SkyPulse, Redbridge and Newspoll also recorded a One Nation slump in July. Hanson has not responded to questions about her colleague Senator Malcolm Roberts, who posted a notorious antisemitic image to his social media accounts and described it as a “most powerful” picture he’d ever seen.

Roberts praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine, endorsed conspiracy theorist Alex James, and stated the US was controlled by a “globalist” sect of bankers.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry and the Anti-Defamation Commission condemned Roberts’ use of antisemitic images and conspiracies. One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce defended Hanson meeting people like Robinson, saying it was important to understand the social dynamic in England.