AEC to probe One Nation plane claim

A RECLUSIVE Melbourne businessman’s gift of an aircraft to One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is the subject of an investigation by the Australian Electoral Commission.

Pauline Hanson with the One Nation plane.

A RECLUSIVE Melbourne businessman’s gift of an aircraft to One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is the subject of an investigation by the Australian Electoral Commission.

AEC Commissioner Tom Rogers said the organisation would use its powers to probe allegations One Nation had breached donation disclosure rules by failing to declare the light plane.

Senator Hanson has continually denied there’d been any breach of the rules, claiming publicity shy property developer Bill McNee provided the plane to her chief of staff, James Ashby, for his business after the pair became friends.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin also revealed he had spoken to the AEC into the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of the Jabiru plane and the questions over whether if it had failed to be declared as a political donation.

But Mr Rogers told a Senate estimates hearing last night he did not believe any offences had been committed following an explosive recording of Mr Ashby suggesting ways the party could make money out of the Queensland election.

Special Minister of State Scott Ryan said his advice about the tape recording was that it had not breached Commonwealth electoral law.

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