New South Australian Senator Lucy Gichuhi hastily retreats from her first press conference after High Court clearance
NORMALLY politicians, especially those newly-elected, love to spruik themselves at length with the media. But not South Australia’s newest senator.
A BABY booster seat became Family First’s biggest hurdle on Wednesday.
After being anointed in the morning as the replacement for Family First Senator Bob Day, Lucy Gichuhi called a press conference, bringing her husband and three daughters.
Marvellous picture opportunity.
Then Senator-elect Gichuhi, with a helping hand from her new chief of staff, tried to duck out of the press conference without answering questions.
As they piled in the car to make a getaway though, that seat was in the way, forcing them all to grin through gritted teeth as a hapless helper tried to aid and abet their escape.
Calling the media to a conference then not letting them ask questions is generally considered poor form, especially when those questions include:
How will you vote on (insert legislation here) considering the tightly balanced nature of the Senate crossbench?
Do you, like your predecessor, believe that SA is a mendicant state?
What do you think of the Government’s moves to tighten the rules for foreign workers and citizenship?
And, of current interest:
Have you fully renounced your Kenyan citizenship?
That last question is no mere technicality. Family First already found out their first choice was ineligible.
Their original second choice, Rikki Lambert, had to withdraw for personal reasons.
So the number three was never expected to grace the Senate seats, but here she is, and she has obfuscated in the past about her citizenship. Holding the citizenship of another country would make her ineligible.
The Kenyan High Commission has told The Advertiser that Ms Gichuhi is absolutely an Australian citizen, and that cancels out her Kenyan citizenship. But the hazy area lies in whether Kenya actually knows that.
Labor was hoping a last-minute challenge at the High Court on Wednesday over that very question could tumble Ms Gichuhi, possibly installing ousted ALP Senator Anne McEwen in her place.
But that challenge was rejected swiftly.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the challenge was all about eligibility and the correct process.
“I think if you want to stand for the Australian Parliament, you should be an Australian citizen, first and foremost,” he said.
Ms Gichuhi — at that press conference — said she knew people wanted to ask her about every policy position, but she stuck to being “honoured”.
“I could not have imagined that 20 years ago as a new Australian I would have this opportunity to serve this country as a Senator,” she said, adding she was aware that politics had become “polarised”.
“I hope to bring an attitude of conciliatory politics … if there is anything like that,” she said.
She said her values would never change but she would seek the best advice on policy positions.
It was a fine sentiment, swiftly marred as her staffer Mark Mudri ushered her away.
Let’s hope she doesn’t mean to go on the way she started.