Australia news live: Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting reports $5.6bn profit; Sally Sara to replace Patricia Karvelas on RN mornings

Company shipped record 64m tonnes of iron ore from Roy Hill operation. Follow today’s news headlines live

Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie has danced around questions around whether Gina Rinehart expects anything “in return” for the free flights she has given opposition leader Peter Dutton.

In a tense interview with Patricia Karvelas on RN Breakfast earlier, the shadow transport minister was happy to criticise the PM for reportedly asking for upgrades to Qantas flights (something he has denied happened), but was much more coy on what it meant for Dutton to be accepting flights from the country’s richest person.

No, I don’t think so. Similarly to Ms Reinhardt sponsoring our Olympic swimming team and rowing team, her expectation was that those young athletes would be supported to represent their country as best they can, and they absolutely did.

So, I don’t think we need to always think that people assisting has a quid pro quo, and that’s why it’s important to have public declarations and important to look at behaviour.

I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to join the Radio National Breakfast team. I can’t wait. I will work hard to engage the audience with stories from across the country and around the world.