Rod Culleton asked to repay salary after being declared bankrupt and disqualified from Senate

One Nation Party Senator Rod Culleton Facebook/RodCulletonOneNation

The federal government has required former One Nation senator Rod Culleton to pay back the $200,000-per-year salary he earned as senator and the amount he spent for his staff along with other expenses after the High Court found he was not qualified to run in the elections. Culleton reportedly plans to take his case to the highest court in the British legal system to have the decision overruled.

The former senator has confirmed receiving a letter from the Finance Department advising him that he was legally required to pay back his salary and expenses. "It's saying all expenses, I think right down to all the stationery in the office," he told AM.

Culleton, who was declared bankrupt in December, said he is in the process of compiling a submission that would be sent to the Privy Council in London, adding that the matter has gone out of control. He told SBS he would protect his rights as well as the rights of his staff who, according to him, has felt the effects of these “bullying tactics.”

Debt waiver

Special Minister of State Scott Ryan said that anybody who obtains such a letter can process an application for a debt waiver. He teased he will have more to say about the issue before the Senate Estimates committee. For the meantime, he said he needs to be very careful in what he reveals because of his future decision-making role, Sky News reports.

Culleton opted not to comment when AM asked him if a debt notice requiring him to pay back his salary and expenses has been issued to him. He said he is a little bit over things at the moment.

The decision came after the high court unanimously ruled that Culleton was ineligible to run for the Senate in July last year due to his larceny conviction, which was later annulled. His disqualification was under sections 44 and 45 of the constitution.

The Guardian notes that Culleton was required to pay back payments made to him and in relation to him since July 2, 2016. It also mentioned that the departments of both finance and the Senate had an obligation to pursue the debt.

“The Department of Finance is currently working to quantify the exact amount of the debt for which it is responsible,” the letter reads. The total amount of debt is expected to include payments of superannuation, benefits like entitlements and staff payments. For other news about Australia, see the clip below.

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