In Australia, One Nation admits spending $56,000 on James Ashby’s shed — The Guardian
In Australia, the One Nation party has admitted that it used party funds to build a $56,000 shed on the private property of party national executive member James Ashby in Yeppoon. This was reported by The Guardian, citing an email from the party’s general manager, Kelvin Morton, to its members.
Ashby currently lives in the shed while carrying out renovations on his property. The publication previously reported that the buyer of the structure was Small Batch Brewing Pty Ltd, a company linked to One Nation. At the time, it had no source of income or licence to manufacture or sell alcohol.
Loan for a microdistillery
According to Morton, the One Nation national executive, which includes Ashby, approved a reinvestment package in Small Batch Brewing to establish a microdistillery. He said the party unanimously decided to lend the company funds for the construction of the shed and distillation equipment in order to reduce commercial rent costs and related payments.
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The amount Small Batch Brewing received for equipment was not disclosed. Morton stated that the company had engaged alcohol licensing consultants to complete procedures related to licences and Australian Taxation Office requirements before production begins in 2027.
Ownership structure
Documents from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission show that Small Batch Brewing Pty Ltd is not owned by One Nation or party-controlled trusts. The company is owned in equal shares by Ashby, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, and former party treasurer Alex Jones.
Morton told party members that One Nation expects to receive between $400,000 and $500,000 a year from licensing, based on projected sales. The party’s alcohol products are currently contract-manufactured by Sunshine Coast-based company CAVU. Ashby previously described Small Batch Brewing as a company that is not currently conducting trading activities.
