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The Briefing … Joyce lobbied PM for Rinehart
Good morning, and welcome to The Briefing.
Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce told mining magnate Gina Rinehart that he personally lobbied prime minister Malcolm Turnbull on her behalf, months before accepting a cheque from Rinehart.
In documents obtained by Fairfax through Freedom of Information, Joyce told Rinehart he “had made a direct representation to the prime minister expressing my strong support” for Rinehart’s proposed National Agricultural and Related Industries Day. Joyce’s department of agriculture paid more than $70,000 to the National Farmers Federation before the event, while Rinehart presented Joyce with a $40,000 personal cheque at the day’s gala dinner in November 2017, a cheque that he later declined to cash
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The Saturday Paper