In a significant political realignment, three high-profile fund managers who were once supporters of the Liberal Party have collectively donated $300,000 to Pauline Hanson's One Nation party. This substantial financial shift was prompted by an exclusive invitation from mining magnate Gina Rinehart to attend a private dinner with former US President Donald Trump.
Luxury Lunch Leads to Major Donation Pledge
The three donors – Douglas Tynan of GCQ Funds Management, Ben Cleary of Tribeca Investment Partners, and Angus Aitken of Aitken Mount Capital Partners – each pledged $100,000 to Senator Pauline Hanson's party. They confirmed their commitments to The Australian newspaper, marking a notable departure from their previous political affiliations.
The agreement was finalised on December 17 during an exclusive private lunch aboard The World, a 644-foot luxury residential vessel shared by just 165 ultra-wealthy families. The lunch was attended by Mrs Rinehart, Senator Hanson, and all three fund managers, creating the setting for this significant political financing arrangement.
Conservative Identity Attracts Disillusioned Liberal Voters
Mr Cleary organised the gathering following the Bondi terror attack, specifically praising Hanson's firm stand against antisemitism as a motivating factor. Meanwhile, Mr Aitken explained that One Nation's stronger conservative identity is increasingly appealing to disillusioned Liberal voters who feel abandoned by their traditional party.
'The Liberals are too focused on chasing back inner-city teal seats with middle-of-the-road policies, rather than appealing to hardworking suburban Australians who are being smashed by the government on everything from housing to energy costs,' Aitken told The Australian. 'That's why One Nation is winning over so many former lifelong Liberal voters as the party of common sense. I won't be donating another dollar to the federal Liberal Party.'
Political Shockwaves Through the Liberal Party
This donor defection has sent shockwaves through the federal Liberal Party, coming at a particularly vulnerable moment. The revelation emerges amid the Coalition's second major rupture in under a year, with pressure mounting on Sussan Ley following a Newspoll that showed One Nation outpolling the Coalition on primary votes for the first time.
One senior Liberal source expressed increasing concern to the Daily Mail that One Nation, which they described as a 'fringe outlet', was gaining unexpected legitimacy in business circles. This development threatens the Liberal Party's traditional reliance on strong support from the corporate sector, potentially undermining their financial and political foundations.
International Connections and Growing Influence
Senator Hanson's growing political stature has been bolstered by significant international connections. Last year, she took centre stage at the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference held at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where she delivered a fiery speech that drew cheers from attendees.
During her address, Hanson praised Trump's leadership, aligned herself with his tough immigration stance, and blasted Australia's major parties, accusing them of turning the country into an 'economic and social tinderbox'. She was photographed attending Trump's Halloween party alongside Mrs Rinehart and remained at Mar-a-Lago throughout the conference duration.
Hanson is also known to maintain friendly relations with UK Reform leader and Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage. Her recent political ascent closely mirrors Farage's surge in the United Kingdom, where Reform is now polling ahead of both the Conservative opposition and the Labour government, suggesting a broader pattern of populist conservative movements gaining traction internationally.
The fund managers' substantial donations represent more than just financial support – they signal a potential realignment in Australian political financing and highlight growing business sector interest in alternative conservative movements. As Mr Aitken starkly concluded about the Liberal Party: 'Most of them couldn't even agree to walk away from net zero – they're absolutely cooked as a party.'
