Sep 25, 8:01 AM
Distilling Ambition: One Nation’s $56,000 Shed Experiment
Party funds deployed on private land raise questions over commercial innovation and internal governance.
When political parties talk about financial diversification and strategic reinvestment, one rarely expects the immediate yield to be a residential shed in regional Queensland. Yet One Nation has managed to blend corporate ambition with personal convenience in a way that invites scrutiny over internal financial governance.
The party's national executive unanimously approved a $56,000 loan to a company named Small Batch Brewing Pty Ltd. The purpose, according to an email sent to party members by general manager Kelvin Morton, was to establish a micro-distillery. To save on commercial rent and outgoings, the party agreed to place the shed and distilling equipment on private land in Yeppoon owned by James Ashby, a senior party executive. Conveniently, Ashby is currently living in the structure while renovating his primary residence.
On paper, the logic presented to rank-and-file members rests on commercial return. One Nation currently generates roughly $105,800 annually from alcohol sales produced through a Sunshine Coast contract brewer, CAVU. By establishing its own distilling facility, the party projects annual licensing revenues between $400,000 and $500,000 once production commences in 2027. Morton cited financial prudence, defending the venture as an innovative move akin to Labor’s interest in licensed clubs or the Liberal Party’s software enterprise, Parakeelia.
The key distinction lies in the corporate structure. ASIC documents reveal that Small Batch Brewing is neither owned by One Nation nor held within a party-controlled trust. Instead, it is a private entity owned in equal shares by three individuals: Pauline Hanson, former treasurer Alex Jones, and James Ashby himself. To complete the circle, Ashby sits on the very national executive that approved the financing package for the venture.
At present, Small Batch Brewing generates no revenue and holds no license to manufacture or sell alcohol, though it has engaged liquor licensing consultants to handle tax and regulatory requirements. Ashby has acknowledged that the firm is currently a non-trading entity that will seek formal approvals when the timing is appropriate.
Political movements frequently preach fiscal accountability to the electorate. Whether using party funds to finance infrastructure on private land—for a business privately owned by party leaders—aligns with sound corporate governance is a question One Nation's donors and members may wish to ponder.
Written by Thomas Nussbaumer thomas.nussbaumer@alpineweekly.com
