Peter Dutton has scotched rumours of a cooling relationship with mining magnate Gina Rinehart over the Coalition’s policy to intervene in the gas market.
On the campaign trail in Sydney on Friday, Dutton shrugged off suggestions he had “disappointed” Australia’s richest person, who is a key backer and fundraiser for the Coalition.
At a campaign press conference, Dutton was asked: “Does it bother you that you have disappointed Gina Rinehart?”
He replied that he had “respect for Gina Rinehart as Australia’s most successful businesswoman”, and credited her with employing thousands of Australians and making an “enormous contribution” to the West Australian and national economies.
“We’ll have points of difference with many people, but that doesn’t mean that it impacts your friendship or your relationship with different business people.”
Reports emerged this week that the close relationship between the pair – last year he flew across the country to attend her 70th birthday party for 40 minutes – had cooled over Dutton’s plan to lower gas prices, and a Coalition net zero policy.
The Guardian has reported extensively on Rinehart’s close relationship with Dutton, and her fundraising efforts on behalf of the Coalition.
The gas industry is concerned by the Coalition’s policy to force energy companies to supply Australia’s domestic market at $10 a gigajoule, down from $14 at present.
Rinehart is a major investor in the Queensland gas producer Senex alongside South Korean energy giant Posco.
In comments posted to the Hancock Energy website on Friday, Rinehart said she and Dutton “remain good friends” despite differences of opinion on policy.
“My friendship with Peter Dutton existed before he became leader of the opposition. The beauty of the non-left side of politics, indeed around the world, is that people can disagree on issues at times and still remain good friends.
“My respect for Peter Dutton, his character and integrity continues, irrespective of our various differences at times.”
Reports from the ABC quoted a senior Coalition source as saying: “There’s been a cooling of the relationship … She felt like he talked a big game until he had to deliver.”
The reports also cited the Hancock Resources website – a regular re-poster of news articles – highlighting uncharacteristic pieces critical of Coalition policy.
But two Coalition sources told the Guardian they had not heard of any backlash over the gas policy, announced a week ago, or any cooling of the relationship.
Sources said the gas industry had significant reservations about the policy, but there had been no fundraisers cancelled or any substantive repercussions.
In her statement, Rinehart said Hancock Energy’s gas interests were not “currently” expected to be affected by “the policy announced in [Dutton’s] budget response”.
Dutton has spent significant time supporting causes backed by Rinehart, and visited Hancock’s mining operations in the Pilbara on her private jet. She has hosted numerous fundraisers on the Coalition’s behalf in Western Australia, Queensland and Victoria in the lead-up to next month’s election.
Hancock Prospecting has been a major donor to the Coalition, particularly since Dutton took the leadership.
The latest disclosures from the Australian Electoral Commission showed that the company donated $500,000 to the Coalition in the 2023-24 financial year, triple the amount donated the previous year, and more than the previous eight years in political donations from the company combined.
Dutton flew from Canberra to Perth to attend Rinehart’s birthday party in February last year. He was able to attend the party for 40 minutes, before flying back across the country to campaign in a Melbourne byelection.
“I was very proud to be at Gina Rinehart’s 70th birthday,” he said later. “I consider her to be a dear friend, a great Australian and Australia’s most successful businesswoman.
“I was happy to go there at my own expense to her birthday, and I don’t resile from it at all.”
