Comment: Rogue parliamentarians have done their fair share of time in the Big House
COMMENT: Crime and politics are not mutually exclusive – old lags like Derryn Hinch can smoothly transition from the Big House to the Upper House if the voters take a bit of a shine to them.
Analysis
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CRIME and politics are not mutually exclusive – old lags like Derryn Hinch can smoothly transition from the Big House to the Upper House if the voters take a bit of a shine to them.
The Constitution disqualifies anyone from running if they are under sentence, or are about to sentenced, for a crime punishable by one year or longer, but once you have served your time all bets are off. Hinch, who has been in jail several times for publicly naming pedophiles, isn’t coy about his stretch in the cooler, making a term of porridge part of his policy platform of keeping kids safe.
Hinch follows in the footsteps of George “Mulga’’ Taylor who did three years for criminal conspiracy related to involvement in the 1891 Shearers’ Strike, then went on to a Western Australian parliamentary career spanning three decades.
In Queensland we had William Groom, who was transported as a convict then got nicked again for theft in 1855 before serving in the Queensland Legislative Assembly.
Groom, whose name lives on in the Darling Downs seat, went on to the Federal Parliament on Federation in 1901, representing the Toowoomba region and becoming the only convict to have been elected to the Federal Parliament.
It is not odd that a country founded by criminals would tolerate a career spanning the penitentiary and the parliament.
What is odd is that the skills set so highly valued in politics – a talent for subterfuge – is the very same one which could preclude you ever prowling the corridors of power.
Those involved in the world of espionage should be careful if they harbour political ambition.
A conviction for treason is the only crime which bans you from a federal parliamentary career in Australia, and the ban is forever.
Originally published as Comment: Rogue parliamentarians have done their fair share of time in the Big House
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