Hollie Hughes, replacement for Fiona Nash in Senate, faces High Court hurdle
Three of the four senators replacing ousted dual citizens will be sworn in on Monday, but questions remain over New South Wales Liberal Hollie Hughes, who was next on the ticket after NSW National Fiona Nash. High Court Justice Stephen Gageler said the Full Court should consider whether Ms Hughes is eligible to replace former deputy Nationals leader Ms Nash in the Senate. The Senate recount was ordered because Ms Nash was disqualified from the Upper House as she was a dual citizen at the time of the last election.
There are questions over whether Ms Hughes can take up the position, because she worked at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) between losing the election and the Senate recount.
A section of the constitution bans people from holding parliamentary office if they also held an “office of profit under the crown”.
That prohibits public servants from running for office.
Ms Hughes resigned from the AAT before the recount.
The matter will be dealt with next Wednesday, the same day that the same-sex marriage survey result will be announced.
Not the first hurdle on Hughes’ track to the Senate
Ms Hughes, a powerful member of the Liberal Party executive, missed out at last year’s election after Malcolm Turnbull called a double-dissolution election — meaning all 12 Senate spots would be up for grabs — that saw her moved to the sixth spot on the shared Liberal-National ticket.
That effectively put her in an unwinnable position behind Defence Minister Marise Payne, Cabinet secretary Arthur Sinodinos, former senator Ms Nash, Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells and Nationals senator John Williams. At the time, she said she was “disappointed” and remained hopeful six senators could be elected. Some Nationals had been hopeful Ms Hughes would take up Ms Nash’s vacant Senate seat and then resign, creating a casual vacancy Ms Nash could step back in and fill. The New South Wales Liberal Party is factionally divided and that split has already had an impact on Ms Hughes.
Radionz