Bernardi repays $40,000 for Rinehart flights — 'worth every cent' of someone else's money

Guardian Australia · Kelly Burke · Saturday 25 April 2026

Bernardi repays $40,000 for Rinehart flights — 'worth every cent' of someone else's money

One Nation's Cory Bernardi reimbursed Gina Rinehart's company for private flights taken during the SA election, after new state laws barred political gifts from individuals or businesses.

Bernardi flew on Rinehart's plane, declared it 'worth every cent,' then handed back forty grand because the law said he had to. Worth every cent of someone else's money is the easiest accounting in politics. The donation cap didn't stop the favour — it just made the receipt traceable.

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