Culleton Oversight Committee disbands amid bankruptcy hearing

Perhaps it wasn’t such a great idea for Rod Culleton to address Justice Barker as “mate”…

Senator Rod Culleton leaving the Federal Court in Perth on Monday. Picture: AAP.

You can’t say you weren’t warned, Australia.

Way back in late October, not long after the Culleton Oversight Committee was set up, the committee said its work was already almost done.

COC had done the hard yards, alerting our patron Rod Culleton to former Wesfarmers director Dick Lester’s cruel insistence that the senator repay a $280,000 debt.

We argued for an extension of diplomatic immunity so MPs could spend more time harassing banks rather than being subjected to mindless enforcement of the civil law.

Our arguments echoed through the corridors of power.

However, when COC quite reasonably asked for recognition by the Remuneration Tribunal and $1 million of salary sacrifice by George Brandis and Justin Gleeson to keep the dream alive, our secure line to Canberra fell inexplicably silent.

In short, COC has had a gutful, if that makes sense.

The timing is not perfect; we’re certainly aware of that.

On Friday, our patron finds out if Federal Court judge Michael Barker is going to bring an end to his glorious parliamentary career by putting him through the bankruptcy wringer over the Lester debt.

Barker complained last Monday that the case had become “a carnival, if not a farce” as Culleton made repeated threats to abandon the hearing due to the presence of estranged former colleagues Bruce Bell and Frank Bertola.

He said the two men, who have launched a High Court case alleging Culleton invalidly nominated for the Senate in the last federal election because he had a criminal conviction, had breached a restraining order brought against them by his wife.

Bell and Bertola were taken away in a police vehicle, with Bell loudly proclaiming his arrest was illegal.

Some might have seen the proceedings as farcical.

COC, for its part, has seen more drama on Perry Mason.

We do have one complaint about our patron, though.

COC has always urged Culleton to take Michelle Obama’s approach to public life: “When they go low, we go high.”

Granted, it’s easy to get confused when the pressure’s on, but being a true egalitarian Culleton has often responded to low blows by going even lower.

On Monday, for example, it wasn’t a great idea to address Justice Barker as “mate”.

Maybe he realised that, because not long after Culleton hauled himself up to true senatorial splendour, reminding the judge of his exalted position as a representative of the people.

“I don’t care if you’re a senator or a janitor,” Justice Barker said.

“Everyone is equal before the law.”

With that, COC is formally disbanded.

All the best, Australia. You’ll need it.

Richard Gluyas’ next Four Pillars column appears in tomorrow’s paper.