Amid comparisons to Jesus, an interruption from a former dentist turned paint-bombing court-denier and allegations that the constitution has been "hidden in a drawer since 1975", One Nation Senator Rod Culleton battled for his political life on Wednesday.
A larceny conviction at the time of his election, later annulled, sits at the centre of the West Australian's eligibility to sit in the Senate.Â
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One Nation, two egos
Pauline Hanson pays out on her One Nation senate colleague Rod Culleton, saying he's not a team player and the attention has gone to his head.
The government, in just under an hour of legal argument, maintained section 44 ii of the constitution was clear – that anyone convicted and under sentence, or subject to be sentenced, for any offence which carries a year or more imprisonment, is ineligible to stand as a member of Parliament.
After representing himself at his directions hearing, Senator Culleton hired Peter King to make his arguments in front of five High Court justices sitting as the court of disputed returns. He argued the Commonwealth was attempting to expand the definition of "convicted", given Senator Culleton's conviction in absentia was later nullified.
But the presence of legal counsel for Senator Culleton made the hearing no less dramatic.Â
After the justices denied both Mr King's attempts to adjourn the case, John Wilson, a One Nation supporter who has been previously jailed for throwing paint bombs at a judge, interrupted the proceedings with shouts of "it's a kangaroo court" and "this is a star chamber", until the court asked for his removal.
Outside, Mr Wilson described himself as a friend of Senator Culleton and said he believed the senator had been influenced by his barristers into appearing before the High Court without a jury. Senator Culleton denied a friendship with Mr Wilson.
After two-and-a-half hours of argument from Senator Culleton's counsel, the court adjourned until Friday, with a decision pending.
Outside the court, Senator Culleton maintained he had "already won".
"I'm just looking for a bit of rest, the last two weeks have been very exhausting, I have a sick mother at the moment and I need to go home and put real values first," he said.Â
"I have already won, I have come to the Parliament, I have simply delivered my message in relation to the judiciary system and if this doesn't lead by example, what does – how can a little pocket key come right up to the High Court?
"When you fill out an application to become a politician, it says go to section 44 ii - well the honest truth is the constitution has been hidden since 1975, so if you wanted to actually go and find it, it would be near impossible.Â
"We have reinvented and reinitiated the constitution and now you have to go down to a very fictional, long argument when you are filling it out, you would have to be Einstein to work out what it actually means and that is exactly what is happening here.
"They tell me it has been in a drawer since 1975, it is the amazing how the judiciary system hasn't been quite following it."
The senator did not clarify who "they" were. But while Pauline Hanson - who has all but abandoned her senator - and other One Nation senators were absent from the court, Senator Culleton had a supporter in Kennedy MP Bob Katter, who, in a note of support, likened him to Jesus.
"Rod is a good man," Mr Katter wrote in a private note Senator Culleton's chief of staff showed to the media as an example of the actions of a "real leader".
"A good Australian. He has fought the good fight. A bloke did that 2000 years ago. They didn't thank him for it."
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