Expected disqualification of Malcolm Roberts could see someone with even fewer primary votes elevated to Parliament

HE RECEIVED just 19 votes — the second lowest — but this Queenslander could soon be our newest Senator. Meet Fraser Anning.

Fraser Anning could be the next One Nation Senator.

FRASER Anning was one vote ahead of being the biggest loser in last year’s Senate election, but the Queenslander could emerge a solid winner from the constitutional showdown in the High Court.

Mr Anning received just 19 primary votes as a One Nation candidate, but is head of the queue to replace Senator Malcolm Roberts (77 votes) who has been ruled to have stood while a dual citizen.

The High Court is expected to decide this disqualifies Senator Roberts on the grounds of shared nationality, and Mr Anning could take his place as the next on the Pauline Hanson One Nation ticket.

But he could face a serious obstacle — the High Court.

This month the Federal Court mentioned a bankruptcy matter involving Mr Anning and his wife Fiona. It will come up again next week.

There is no ruling Mr Anning is bankrupt, but if that court action is found against him it could be argued to the High Court he is ineligible to sit in Parliament, under Section 44 of the Constitution.

In that event One Nation would have lost its third Senate candidate — the first two being West Australian Rod Culleton and Senator Roberts.

Which must leave Craig Gunnis wondering what might have been.

Mr Gunnis, a Palmer United Party candidate, has then unwanted distinction of receiving the lowest Senate primary tally at the election in Queensland, just 18 votes.

That’s just one less than Mr Anning, but Mr Gunnis had no chance of election or succession because his party failed dismally.

And Mr Anning’s possible elevation also will have Pauline Hanson’s sister, Judy Smith, thinking of what might have been — and what could be.

Ms Smith was bottom of the four-candidate One Nation ticket in Queensland, below her sister (20,927 primary votes), Senator Roberts and Mr Anning.

She received 44 primary votes — more than twice Mr Anning’s total — but missed election because the flow of group votes favoured those above her on the ticket.

However, nothing is simple in One Nation history and there is speculation that bankruptcy action might prevent Mr Anning, a businessman in the hotel industry based at Gladstone, succeeding Senator Roberts.

On September 19 the Federal Circuit Court in Adelaide mentioned an action involving William Fraser Anning and Fiona Ruth Anning and a bankruptcy petition, which was adjourned until October 3.

The action is being taken by ABL Nominees, a subsidiary of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank.

The High Court will next month consider the cases of seven MPs and senators who could be disqualified on the grounds of dual citizenship — the Nationals Senator Fiona Nash, Senator Matt Canavan, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce; Greens Scott Ludlam, Larissa Waters, One Nation’s Malcolm Roberts; Senator Nick Xenophon.

The Government’s submission from Attorney-General Senator George Brandis (27,299 primary votes in Queensland) to the court calls for Senator Roberts and Mr Ludlam to be disqualified because they were born overseas, in India and New Zealand respectively.

It called for mercy for the others who didn’t “know that they are, or ever were, a foreign citizen”.

Mr Anning is billed on the One Nation election website as being from a sheep and cattle grazing family from far north west Queensland where he grew up on a family property.

“He married Fiona who was also from the land and they decided to find work in the city as the cattle industry was in crisis and the droughts in the area made it hard to survive,” said the site.

“Fraser moved from the farm into the hospitality industry and within a year was appointed general manager and licensee of a large Hotel for Carlton Brewery. After managing this property successfully for a couple of years, the couple bought their first hotel.”