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Disqualified senator takes fight to London

Rod Culleton plans to approach the Privy Council of the UK after being told the Department of Finance will pursuing him after he was disqualified as a senator.

Rod Culleton leaves the High Court of Australia
Leader of The Great Australian Party, Rod Culleton. Source: AAP

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Source: AAP


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Rod Culleton, the West Australian ruled ineligible to have been elected a senator by the High Court, isn't giving up his fight against the commonwealth.

Mr Culleton is compiling a submission to present to the UK Privy Council after the Department of Finance said it would pursue him for payments made to him and his staff before he was disqualified.

"I will not be bullied or threatened by the government," he said in a statement released on Tuesday night.

"The government has been asleep at the wheel and they are now trying to deflect their mistakes by trying to make me their escape (sic) goat."

Special Minister of State Scott Ryan confirmed letters about the payments have gone to both Mr Culleton and Bob Day, who also was found to have been ineligible to be elected a South Australian senator.

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"As I understand it - because those letters have not come from me - the debts have not yet been raised but there is a process to go through," he told Sky News on Wednesday.

Senator Ryan said he would have more to say before Senate estimates hearings in Canberra next week.

But he was tight-lipped because he may have to make a future decision on possible applications to waive the debts from both men.

Britain's Privy Council is a formal body of advisers to the Queen which traditionally was the court of final appeal for the UK's Commonwealth countries but only a few countries have retained that avenue of appeal.


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