Peter Dutton flew to Perth for one hour at lavish Gina Rinehart birthday party then back to cost-of-living campaign in Dunkley

Opposition leader’s latest trip west to celebrate with the billionaire raises questions among Labor MPs and his usual media supporters

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The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, reportedly flew to Perth for just an hour to attend the 70th birthday party of the mining billionaire Gina Rinehart, flying an overnight round-trip cross-country before returning to Melbourne to campaign on cost-of-living issues ahead of the Dunkley byelection.

The lavish celebration for Australia’s richest woman, according to her company’s websites, included “a horse show backed by the fantastic Aussie music, ‘The Man from Snowy River’, with riders … carrying large Australian and company flags”, with photos from the event showing multiple large cakes and on-stage pyrotechnics.

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