It was a press conference dreams are made of.
A day after it was revealed Bob Day could be turfed out of the Senate, the government announced it would challenge in the High Court the election of One Nation senator Rod Culleton. Legal advice suggests he may not have been eligible to stand at the July 2 poll because of a larceny conviction flowing from the theft of a $7.50 tow truck key.
More News Videos
Senator's bizarre press conference
In his unique style, One Nation Senator Rod Culleton responds to news his election win will be challenged in the High Court. Vision courtesy ABC News 24.
In damage control, the senator soon popped out for a chat with the media in Perth.Â
What followed had viewers scratching their heads:
![Senator Rod Culleton faces the music in Perth on Wednesday.](/web/20161105024903im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/g/l/n/e/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gsgjee.png/1478185003812.jpg)
QUOTE 1) "On Saturday, which was the weekend." - Senator Culleton leaves voters in no doubt as to the timeline of events.Â
QUOTE 2) "I'm not sure whether I'm gonna participate in any High Court jurisdiction and if I do I'll simply go down, shear a sheep and take the belly fleece and stick it over my head and represent myself, because I'm a true Australian standing up for the Australian people." - Senator Culleton gives the scoop on his legal strategy.
QUOTE 3) "That's really all I've got to say at this point in time." - Senator Culleton wraps up, somewhat prematurely. He continued to speak for 15 minutes.
QUOTE 4) "At all material times I was innocent." - Senator Culleton on a court case in which he actually pleaded guilty.
![Senator Rod Culleton is facing a High Court challenge to his role in Parliament.](/web/20161105024903im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/g/m/e/l/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gsgjee.png/1478156560932.jpg)
QUOTE 5) "Geographically, it's a hard gig to get up to that part of NSW." - Senator Culleton on the New England region, where his court case was held and tens of thousands of tourists somehow manage to visit each year.
QUOTE 6) "IÂ have come to the Senate with a couple of battle scars, but I'm dealing with them and I'm funding all that myself, so I'm doing it the best way IÂ can and I'm going out as an opening batsman and, you know, trying to hit one hundred." - Senator Culleton describes what it's like to come to politics with a past.
![Senator Rod Culleton wraps up his press conference.](/web/20161105024903im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/g/l/m/x/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gsgjee.png/1478145706064.jpg)
QUOTE 7) "Just because I turn around and say that I took a key, it's no different to taking a scone off someone's plate." - Senator Culleton compares a larceny charge with the habits of a hungry child at a CWA luncheon.
QUOTE 8) "We're talking about a single pocket key, really. One single key. I actually offered to buy him a brass one; it was a silver one, from memory." - Senator Culleton on the $7.50 key that could tip the Senate into turmoil.
QUOTE 9) "I'm not here to be cross-examined by the media." - Senator Culleton at a press conference, which are usually called to allow media to question the person who called it.
QUOTE 10) "There's a good old saying: you grab a tiger by the tail, you've got to hang on. And I'm hangin' on and this thing is scratching but I'm still hangin' on." - Senator Culleton on how best to approach a visit to the zoo, or career in politics.
QUOTE 11) "When you're in politics it's hard to take advice, because you've got to be confident in that advice." - Senator Culleton reveals he is, in fact, the fount of all wisdomÂ
QUOTE 12) "I'm not a criminal lawyer. Well, I'm not a lawyer at all." - Senator Culleton, who had earlier said he'd represent himself in the highest court in the land.
QUOTE 13) "What, I've got to come up with another $100,000 to have everyone sit up there like Harry Potter? I'm not doing that." - Senator Culleton compares High Court attire to the famous fantasy novels.
QUOTE 14) "I could have had four glasses of wine at the time I was nominating and thought I would fill out the form and be free and easy, I don't know." - Senator Culleton on the crucial question of whether he nominated to stand for Parliament knowing he was not allowed to.
QUOTE 15) "Someone probably not as good as me." - Senator Culleton's assessment of who might replace him if he's thrown out.
32 comments
Comment are now closed