POLITICAL LIFE OF BOB DAY
2006 - South Australian housing developer Bob Day endorsed by federal Liberals to run in seat of Makin, with strong support from John Howard.
2007 - Labor wins Makin and Kevin Rudd takes government.
2008 - Day unsuccessfully contests Liberal preselection in Mayo, then quits to run as a Family First candidate. Fails to win seat.
2010 - Day runs as Family First senate candidate in SA, but fails to win seat.
2013 - Day wins SA senate seat for Family First.
2014 - Day tells Finance Department officials he doesn't want to use former senator Don Farrell's Adelaide CBD office. Instead he wants to use a Kent Town building. Finance officials tell then-Special Minister of State Michael Ronaldson that Day owns the building and intends to sell it on condition the office is leased to the commonwealth. After lengthy negotiation Day agrees to terms for lease.
2015 - Lease signed between building's new owners and commonwealth. No rent paid.
August 2016 - Day approaches new Special Minister of State Scott Ryan about rent on the office. Ryan seeks further information on the background of the lease and discovers there may be a constitutional breach.
October 2016 - Ryan terminates lease and seeks independent legal advice from constitutional law expert David Jackson. Day announces he will resign as his Home Australia Group of companies goes into liquidation. Ryan receives legal advice regarding the possible invalid election of Day, with concerns over indirect pecuniary interest because building owner owes Day money.
November 2016 - Day tenders his resignation to the Senate President. Senate refers the lease matter and Day's possible invalid run for parliament to the High Court.
April 5, 2017 - High Court finds Day was ineligible to run under section 44 of the constitution, which states a member or senator can be disqualified where there is "any direct or indirect pecuniary interest in any agreement with the public service of the commonwealth".
