Bob Day launches Australian Family Party in new tilt at politics

Failed building magnate and former senator Bob Day has launched a fresh tilt at politics with a new party.

Four years after leaving parliament, failed building magnate and former South Australian senator Bob Day is launching a comeback bid with a new political party.

His fresh tilt at federal politics will be under the new banner of the Australian Family Party, rather than Family First.

The move comes after a tumultuous four years in which Mr Day was declared bankrupt, his building company, Home Australia, collapsed and the High Court declared he was ineligible to sit in parliament.

Mr Day, pictured, said he had “stuffed up” but was “ready to go into bat once again” for South Australians.

“As far as the business goes, that was entirely my own fault. I had no one to blame but myself. I was not as smart as I thought I was,” he said.

“I ran a very successful business for 30 years but then bit off more than I could chew.”

Bob Day delivering his maiden speech in the Senate chamber in 2014. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

The Australian Family Party would aim to “counter the insidious influence of the Greens and the disappointment of the major parties”.

Mr Day urged South Australians to read the 2017 High Court ruling against his eligibility to sit in parliament and “make up their own mind”.

The court ruled Mr Day’s election was ineligible due to his links to the company that owned his Kent Town electorate office.

The decision was based on a section of the Constitution that stated an MP could be disqualified where there was “any direct or indirect pecuniary interest in any agreement with the public service of the commonwealth”.

Mr Day said he had never received money through the arrangement.

Originally published as Bob Day launches Australian Family Party in new tilt at politics