Rod Culleton vows to contest election despite bankruptcy cloud

Former One Nation senator Rod Culleton insists he will contest the federal election despite the Australian Electoral Commission raising concerns about him making a false declaration on his nomination form. 

In a separate matter, Mr Culleton appeared in Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court on Monday where he faced accusations of having breached quarantine directions when WA’s hard border came down in March.

When questioned outside court, Mr Culleton, the leader of the Great Australian Party, denied he had lied on his electoral nomination form regarding his solvency status.

The electoral commission referred Mr Culleton to Australian Federal Police last month, noting he was listed as an “undischarged bankrupt” on the National Personal Insolvency Index, making him ineligible to sit as a senator.

The ABC has confirmed he is listed on the insolvency index, which is maintained by the Australian Financial Security Authority. 

A commission spokesman on Monday said the organisation believed Mr Culleton had made a false declaration and referred the ABC to the April 22 statement on its website. 

In the statement, the commission said Mr Culleton’s name would appear on the WA Senate ballot paper in the May 21 election but he would be ineligible to sit as a senator if elected.

Mr Culleton told the ABC on Monday he had not been contacted by the Australia Federal Police.

He also said he had not lied on his nomination form.

When it was pointed out that Mr Culleton had been dumped from the Senate for being bankrupt, he insisted that was “an incorrect statement”.

When asked again if he had lied on his nomination form about being bankrupt, Mr Culleton repeated his denial.

He said he was determined to contest the May 21 election.

“Absolutely, I’m a good runner in this race,” he said.

Mr Culleton initially sat as a One Nation senator and then an independent after the 2016 election, before the High Court ruled in 2017 that his election was invalid due to a conviction.

In 2019, he founded the Great Australian Party which, according to its Facebook page, is fielding 28 candidates across a number of states and territories.

Court case adjourned

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Meanwhile, Mr Culleton’s brief appearance in court on Monday resulted in his case being adjourned for six weeks.

Mr Culleton and his Great Australian Party supporters were among 17 people charged by police for failing to comply with a direction under the Emergency Management Act when they entered WA in March at Eucla.

The 57-year-old maintained he intended to take the matter to the High Court, telling the magistrate a “constitutional notice” had been issued to all Attorneys-General in each state and territory.

Mr Culleton told the court he had not received full disclosure from WA Police.

The charge carries a potential sentence of up to 12 months in jail or a fine of up to $50,000.