Bob Day launches independent federal election campaign for Senate seat

Former senator and bankrupt, failed business magnate Bob Day is back – and says he has unfinished business.

Former South Australian senator Bob Day has launched a new tilt at the Senate more than five years after going bankrupt and quitting parliament.

In his campaign launch speech – titled ‘Unfinished Business – Mr Day said Australia needed a “renaissance … one that puts the family at the centre of society”.

Mr Day is running as a independent with Democratic Labour Party stalwart Pat Amadio as his number two.

“Australia has social and economic problems that it wants to solve,” Mr Day said.

“Looking to politicians and bureaucrats and regulators to solve these problems and achieve these goals is a lost cause.

“They don’t know enough to make the correct decisions … and the simple reason is that those at the top know less than those at the bottom.”

Mr Day said he had long-term rapport with Mr Amadio, who he believed would bring his network and supporter base to their ticket.

Former home builder and senator Bob Day is launching a new Senate campaign. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

“The DLP have always got around 1 per cent, which is 10,000 votes in the in the past, they’ve got a long history in the political arena,” Mr Day said.

The High Court adjudicated in 2017 that Mr Day was ineligible to sit in parliament due to his connection to a company that owned his electoral office in Kent Town.

The independent candidate said he bit off more than he could chew when asked about his departure from the senate after he declared bankruptcy as his national building empire collapsed.

“I thought I could run one of the biggest building companies in Australia and run the country at the same time and I couldn’t and I paid the price for that,” Mr Day said.

“There’s not much I can do about a decision I made ten years ago. But there’s a lot I can do to help families now,” he said.

Mr Day wants to focus on empowering families through “financial autonomy” and provide more affordable housing.

“Better family-based taxation policies, income splitting, assistance to grandparents so that both parents are not forced out to work,” he said.

“I think the main thing would be to ensure that every piece of legislation is judged against how it impacts and affects the family.”

Originally published as Bob Day launches independent federal election campaign for Senate seat