Pauline Hanson secured funding for Fitzroy Community Hospice before Landry and McCormack met with hospice board

A letter from Federal Finance Minister Simon Birmingham could be the key to determining who secured funding for the Rockhampton end-of-life service.

Senator Pauline Hanson and Capricornia MP Michelle Landry clashed over who deserves credit for funding the Fitzroy Community Hospice.

A senior government minister thanked Senator Pauline Hanson for bringing Fitzroy Community Hospice’s funding needs to the Coalition’s attention, a letter has revealed.

The spat between firebrand Senator Hanson and Capricornia MP Michelle Landry hit fever pitch in recent days after the One Nation leader announced $8m to get the Rockhampton hospice up and running.

It is unusual for a non-government politician to announce funding and claim credit for it.

Nevertheless, Senator Hanson declared she was the first to bring the hospice to the attention of Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, and heralded the success as her own.

Ms Landry, who has been pipped by Senator Hanson before, maintained it was she who secured the funding.

But in a letter to Senator Hanson, Federal Finance Minister Simon Birmingham thanked her for raising the idea with the government.

The letter, dated June 16, 2021, affirmed the government’s $8 million commitment several days before Ms Landry and then-Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack met with the hospice’s board to express their “commitment to seeing the Fitzroy Community Hospice become a reality”.

Senator Pauline Hanson met Debra and Steve Richards from the Fitzroy Community Hospice at Beef 2021 in May.

It confirmed the money for the hospice was conditional on operational funding from the Queensland Government.

“Thank you for your recent representations on a number of policy matters,” Senator Birmingham said.

“I appreciate you bringing these policy proposals to the Government’s attention and look forward to working with you in the future to deliver positive policy outcomes for all Australians.”

It is not the first time Senator Hanson has been ahead of Ms Landry on such an announcement; she beat the local MP to the punch on a $23 million federal grant to build a stadium in Rockhampton in 2020.

The recent squabble prompted Labor Senator Murray Watt to question why the Federal Government commitment was publicised by Senator Hanson and not by Ms Landry.

He wondered whether the announcement was part of a deal between Ms Hanson and the government in exchange for the former’s votes, a suggestion that Senator Hanson rejected.

Senator Hanson said she first became aware of the project at Beef Australia 2021, which was held in Rockhampton in early May.

“I said it was a well worthwhile cause, especially when they told me there was no hospice outside south-east Queensland,” she said.

“I thought it was disgusting that people couldn’t die with dignity. I put the case before the government and they came through with it.”

She said she would “not stand back and let somebody else take credit they’ve done nothing for”, calling Ms Landry “lazy”.

“She hasn’t done her job. She hasn’t gone in fighting for the people here,” Senator Hanson said.

“I’m sick and tired of these Members of Parliament, that the public think they’re actually listening to them … and it falls on deaf ears. They do nothing.

“I try to work with everyone because at the end of the day it’s for the people: if I’m in a position to twist the government’s arm to get his funding for them then I will do it.

“At the end of the day, I’m up for re-election and the people have to know that I have been working for them, I have been fighting for them.”

The Fitzroy Community Hospice Board: Vicki Richmond, Joanne Bell, Mark Thompson, Steve Richards, Debra Richards, John Martyn, and Paula Ryan. Wade Mann is also on the board.

A day after the publication of that announcement, Ms Landry and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce declared their own success in the same matter.

Ms Landry did not contradict the claim that Senator Hanson was the first to formally bring the funding proposal to the government.

“I welcome Senator Hanson’s interest for projects in Capricornia,” she said.

“Senator Hanson is welcome to claim whatever she likes; however, the LNP are in Federal Government, I’m the Federal Member, and we are the ones who write the cheques.

“I have been lobbying the Deputy Prime Minister for quite some time for this project and at the end of the day, he is the one who signs off on this funding.”

Ms Landry said she had been “in discussions” with the Fitzroy Community Hospice since mid to late 2020 and met the hospice board with Mr McCormack in June.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg did not say by whom he was initially or most frequently approached about the hospice, or whether he signed off on Ms Hanson’s announcement.

He attributed the funding to Ms Landry’s efforts, and said it was “jointly announced by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Federal Member for Capricornia” even though Senator Hanson announced it before them.

Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

Fitzroy Community Hospice board member Steve Richards said those involved with the hospice project had been lobbying politicians “of all persuasions”, including state and federal members.

Although he recalled meeting Senator Hanson, he did not remember which politician first showed an interest in the hospice, and named Ms Landry, Mr McCormack, and LNP Senator Matt Canavan as other advocates.

“We had a stand at Beef Week where we were registering supporters for our project, and Pauline just happened to come by and started talking to us and became totally engaged in the project,” Mr Richards said.

“We supplied a business case that was a fairly comprehensive business case that very much demonstrated not only the need for the project, but the viability of the project.

“I don’t know who came first. It just all came together.”

Mr Birmingham was approached for comment.