Family First Senator Bob Day says he will remain in Parliament until the end of the year

AN investor has expressed interest in Bob Day’s collapsing building empire, prompting questions as to whether the senator will resign from Parliament.

A “NEW potential investor” has expressed interest in Bob Day’s Home Australia group, raising questions of whether the crossbench senator will need to resign from Parliament after all.

Family First state leader in South Australia, Dennis Hood, said Senator Day had advised an investor had expressed interest in Senator Day’s company on Wednesday.

Mr Hood confirmed the party had met on Saturday to determine a possible preselection process to replace Senator Day, but the process had been temporarily put on hold.

“As this was a preliminary meeting, no discussion occurred regarding individual nominations,” Mr Hood said in a statement on Wednesday.

Family First Senator Bob Day wants to remain in Parliament until the end of the year even though he has signalled he will resign.

“As Senator Day has not formally resigned from the Senate, he maintains the position as a sitting senator and therefore it would be inappropriate to make further comment on this matter.”

LABOR: BOB DAY SITUATION ‘SMELLS’

Labor has questioned Bob Day’s decision to remain in parliament until the end of the year after the Family First senator initially said it would be “untenable” to stay.

Senator Day, whose Home Australia group is in liquidation with debts of at least $12.5 million and more than 200 houses left unfinished, said today he could not resign before the end of the year because the Upper House had too much important business to consider.

With just three sitting weeks left, he says there isn’t time to install a replacement for him if he quits to sort out the liquidation.

“Marriage plebiscite legislation, ABCC and our other work too important to Family First to have a vacant seat for even one day in November,” the Senator tweeted.

Senator Day last week issued a media release in which he stated it would be “untenable to stay in parliament” while trying to do his best to help subcontractors and families put out by the business collapse.

Labor Leader Bill Shorten said the situation looked like a deal between Senator Day and the government, which required his vote to pass the Australian Building and Construction Commission Bill — one of the two double-dissolution election triggers.

“How is it that one week he thinks his position is untenable, then, when he can’t manipulate his preferred replacement through his political party, he has now decided to keep taking the $4000 a week and support the government’s anti-worker legislation?” Mr Shorten asked reporters in Melbourne.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Bob Day’s decision to remain in Parliament “looked like a deal” between the Family First senator and the government.

“It wasn’t Labor who has left hundreds of families high and dry, it wasn’t Labor who said his position was untenable, and Labor is certainly saying this whole situation smells.”

Treasurer Scott Morrison said it was the South Australian senator’s call.

“He makes the decision on when he resigns and when he doesn’t resign,” Mr Morrison told 5AA radio.

However, Mr Morrison noted the constitution made it clear anyone declared bankrupt could not sit in the parliament.

Leader of the House Christopher Pyne said Senator Day was entitled to sit in parliament until his retirement day.

“Until that point he is doing his job, just like every other senator,” Mr Pyne said.

The South Australian government has offered to convene a joint sitting of parliament next week if Family First wanted to quickly fill the casual vacancy.

However the party is still considering how to replace Senator Day, with up to 10 people believed to be interested in the job.

Senator Day is understood to be backing his chief of staff Rikki Lambert, but there is a separate push for sitting state member Robert Brokenshire to enter federal parliament.

The senator has been a staunch supporter of the government since first elected in 2013.

However, he has only attended parliament for three of the 11 sitting days since the July election, having been granted leave for personal reasons.

Originally published as Family First Senator Bob Day says he will remain in Parliament until the end of the year