Australiaâs richest woman has donated a plane to The Royal Flying Doctor Service just weeks after gifting a Cirrus SR22 G7 to One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.
Billionaire Gina Rinehart funded a new Pilatus PC-12 PRO aircraft at the Jandakot base in Western Australia through her Rinehart Medical Foundation and Hancock Iron Ore.
The new plane is the first of its kind in the charityâs WA fleet and will progressively replace the eight ageing PC-12 aircraft it currently possesses.
The aircraft â which is faster, safer, and has better range and efficiency â will allow the RFDS to continue providing essential care to those living, working and travelling in the state without nearby medical services.
The mining magnate said faster aircraft were âessentialâ in a state where âdistance and time can mean the difference between life and deathâ.
âItâs great to welcome a faster aircraft, the first of the new PC-12 PRO aircraft to Western Australia,â she said in a statement.
âThe work of the Flying Doctor undoubtedly saves countless lives each year across our rural communities and vast state.
âFor the many families in remote areas, this service is essential.â
Australiaâs richest woman has donated a plane to The Royal Flying Doctor Service just months after she handed One Nationâs Pauline Hanson a $2.1million private jet
 The new plane (pictured) is the first of its kind in the charityâs WA fleet and will progressively replace the eight ageing PC-12 aircraft it currently possesses
Mrs Rinehart has been a long time advocate of the RFDS, having previously given millions of dollars to the charity.
In July 2023, she donated $4million to the service, which went towards equipping its then new Beechcraft King Air 360 aircraft and upgrading its Brisbane base.
It comes after Hanson shared a video on April 29 showing off the âsexyâ Cirrus SR22 G7 plane, worth AU$2.1million.
Hancock Prospecting, owned by Rinehart, confirmed the plane was donated to One Nation by one of Rinehartâs companies, rather than the billionaire personally.
âYes it was donated. Yes Iâm super happy. Yes itâs fast. Yes itâs amazing. Yes it means I can visit more regional towns across the country more often. Yes itâs a Cirrus G7. Yes itâs sexy. Yes I have a pilot,â Hanson wrote.
âNo I wonât be doing Welcome to Country each time we land.
âNo itâs not battery operated.â
Treasurer Jim Chalmers criticised the massive donation and the âvery close relationship between One Nation and Gina Rinehartâ.
Pauline is seen posing with the âsexyâ Cirrus SR22 G7 plane, worth AU$2.1million
Treasurer Jim Chalmers and the Greensâ Steph Hodgins-May criticised the relationship between Rinehart and Hanson (pictured together, centre, in 2024)
âI think Pauline Hanson is a wholly owned subsidiary of Gina Rinehart, and we know this because whenever Pauline Hansonâs asked to vote in the interests of Australian workers, she instead votes in the interests of Gina Rinehart,â he said.
âWhether itâs in industrial relations, whether itâs in cost-of-living relief, what weâve seen again and again from One Nation is they typically vote the way Gina Rinehart wants them to rather than how the workers and battlers of this country need them to.â
The Greensâ Steph Hodgins-May claimed the showy donations was misaligned with the image Hanson projects.
âOne Nation claims to stand for everyday Australians, but openly gloating about being handed a million-dollar private jet tells an entirely different story,â she said.
âA plane worth as much as the median Australian home doesnât come without strings attached.
âThose strings wonât be pulled by voters, they will be pulled by the billionaire donors.â