CANBERRA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- An Australian Senator who was declared bankrupt last month vowed on Thursday to fight a government decision to remove him from the Senate.
Rod Culleton, a former One Nation and then independent Senator, was declared bankrupt by a Federal Court judge last month, and was on Wednesday disqualified from the Parliament after Senate President Stephen Parry considered the court's documents.
However, Culleton said Thursday that the decision to make his Senate seat vacant was premature, and that it should be "withdrawn immediately".
In a statement from his chief-of-staff, Culleton said the bankruptcy claims were "grossly defamatory and completely inaccurate", and urged media publications to retract stories containing the accusations.
"On advice from Senator Culleton and his legal team, we seek an immediate retraction and apology for the erroneous media statements released," the statement said on Thursday.
According to the constitution, a member's position will become vacant if they are subject to a number of "disabilities" which may harm their ability to serve the Australian people. According to the Senate President, that includes bankruptcy.
"It is a necessary and automatic consequence of the declaration of bankruptcy of a serving senator, that his place as a senator becomes vacant," Parry said on Wednesday.
Meanwhile One Nation leader Pauline Hanson told the Nine Network on Thursday that although she had her differences with Culleton, who left the party to become an independent on Dec. 18, it was a shame personal circumstances brought about the demise of his political career.
"Am I happy about the demise of Rod Culleton? No, I'm not," Hanson said.
"I thought Rod was going to be a great representative for the people of Western Australia."
As Culleton was initially a member of the party, Hanson will be required to nominate a replacement to fill Culleton's seat.
