One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has formally disclosed that mining billionaire Gina Rinehart paid for flights between London and Sicily, together with tickets to a luxury fashion event during the senator’s recent European trip, after updating her parliamentary Register of Interests.

The disclosure provides the clearest official account to date of how part of Hanson’s visit to Italy was funded after weeks of political scrutiny surrounding the overseas trip.

According to the updated Senate register, Rinehart funded Hanson’s return flights from London to Sicily via Rome between 11 and 16 July, together with invitations to attend an exclusive Dolce & Gabbana fashion show held in the Sicilian resort town of Taormina.

Hanson said the declared gifts complied with parliamentary disclosure requirements and stressed that she personally paid for her accommodation, meals and everyday expenses throughout the visit.

Responding to criticism on social media, the Queensland senator said the trip did not cost Australian taxpayers anything.

“Yes, I went to Sicily. Yes, I went to the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show,” Hanson said in a video released after questions were raised about the visit.

“What an experience… I paid for my own accommodation, meals and daily expenses. Not one cent came from taxpayers.”

The trip took place during Hanson’s broader visit to Europe, which included appearances in the United Kingdom at political events and media interviews.

While in London, Hanson attended the Conservative Political Action Conference and later appeared on a podcast hosted by British political activist Tommy Robinson, generating further attention both in Australia and overseas.

The Italian visit itself attracted widespread media interest after photographs emerged showing Hanson and Rinehart together at the luxury Grand Hotel San Pietro in Taormina.

Questions were subsequently raised regarding who had funded various aspects of the trip.

The updated Register of Interests has now clarified that Rinehart covered the flights within Europe and the fashion show invitations, while Hanson met the remaining personal expenses herself.

Under Senate disclosure rules, federal parliamentarians must declare gifts, sponsored travel and other interests above specified reporting thresholds within prescribed timeframes.

The Register of Senators’ Interests is designed to promote transparency by allowing the public to examine benefits that could potentially give rise to perceived conflicts of interest.

Because the Sicily flights occurred in mid-July and were disclosed following the register update, reports indicate Hanson complied with the applicable reporting timeframe for this particular journey.

The disclosure nevertheless renewed debate about the close relationship between Hanson and Australia’s richest person.

Rinehart has become one of One Nation’s most prominent financial supporters in recent years and has previously funded travel, hospitality and campaign-related assistance involving Hanson and the party.

Earlier this year, Hanson also disclosed receiving a Cirrus G7 aircraft from Rinehart, a gift that attracted considerable political attention because of its estimated value.

Hanson has consistently defended the relationship.

She has publicly described Rinehart as a friend and one of Australia’s most significant taxpayers, saying she values the mining executive’s views on economic policy and regularly discusses national issues with her.

Hanson has also rejected suggestions that financial support influences One Nation’s policies, maintaining that the party determines its platform independently.

Political opponents have offered a different assessment.

Critics argue that the frequency and scale of gifts declared by Hanson raise legitimate questions about political influence and transparency, even where the benefits are properly disclosed under parliamentary rules.

Some have called for broader reforms to political donations, sponsored travel and disclosure requirements applying to elected representatives.

The issue forms part of a wider national debate over the relationship between wealthy private benefactors and Australian politics.

Successive governments and parliamentary committees have considered proposals to strengthen donation laws, improve transparency and reduce perceptions that major financial contributors may enjoy privileged access to political leaders.

Supporters of the existing disclosure framework argue that transparency itself provides the appropriate safeguard.

Provided gifts and sponsored travel are declared publicly in accordance with parliamentary rules, they contend voters are able to assess those relationships for themselves.

Others argue that disclosure alone may not fully address concerns about perceived influence, particularly where repeated gifts involve high-profile political figures and significant monetary value.

The latest declaration also follows earlier reporting concerning Hanson’s register of interests.

Guardian Australia previously reported that several earlier flights funded by companies associated with Rinehart had been declared outside the required reporting period before subsequently being added to the register after questions were raised. Hanson later updated those declarations.

Despite the political controversy, Hanson has maintained that accepting privately funded travel is not unusual in Australian public life, provided the benefits are disclosed in accordance with parliamentary requirements.

She has repeatedly emphasised that taxpayers did not finance any aspect of the Sicily travel now under discussion.

The episode nevertheless highlights the continuing public interest surrounding political transparency.

As scrutiny of political donations, sponsored travel and relationships between elected representatives and influential business figures intensifies, disclosures contained within parliamentary registers are increasingly becoming matters of broader public debate rather than simply administrative compliance.

For Hanson, the updated register provides formal confirmation of how part of her European itinerary was funded.

For her critics, however, the disclosure is likely to fuel continuing questions about the relationship between One Nation and one of Australia’s most influential business leaders.

With political funding and transparency expected to remain prominent issues in Australian politics, the Sicily trip has become another example of how even properly declared benefits can generate significant public discussion about ethics, accountability and public confidence in democratic institutions.