Fiona Nash rules out political comeback

Fiona Nash has ruled out a political comeback at the next election if she can’t stage a return soon.

Former Nationals senator Fiona Nash yesterday. Picture: Dylan Robinson

Former Nationals deputy leader Fiona Nash has ruled out a political comeback at the next election if she is unable to stage an imminent return to parliament after being disqualified by the High Court.

Ms Nash, who was driving to Tamworth yesterday to help Barnaby Joyce’s campaign in the New England by-election, told The Weekend Australian she was “devastated” at the High Court outcome and felt her time in parliament had been cut short.

“If there was a way for me to come back in the short-term then I would most certainly get on with the job for a considerable period of time,” Ms Nash said. “I love this party and I will always be part of this party in some way, shape or form.”

The full bench of the High Court handed down a unanimous decision last month disqualifying Ms Nash and Mr Joyce, as well as former Greens senators Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam, and former One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts because they were all dual citizens at the time of their election in contravention of section 44 of the Constitution.

Pressed on whether she would return to the lower or upper house at the next federal poll, the former regional development minister confirmed she would move on to make way for younger talent. “In the long term, politics moves on and there are some really bright and talented people in the Nationals party ... my job will be off doing something else,” she said.

Ms Nash, who discovered she was a British citizen by descent through her Scottish-born father, said her Senate seat would most likely go to NSW Liberal Hollie Hughes because she was the next person on the upper house ticket.

“I’ve always been a very strong Coalitionist, but obviously it’s disappointing for the Nationals if at any point we lose a seat,’’ she said.

“I was so proud of the Nationals’ result at the last election ... We did have a good outcome and if we look at the numbers we did deliver the government.”

She also rejected the need for an audit as Labor yesterday upped the pressure on Malcolm Turnbull by calling for all MPs to make a public disclosure of their citizenship in the federal parliament.

“I genuinely believe that ­people who are in parliament should respect the parliament and have the honesty to come forward,” Ms Nash said.

Ms Nash also argued there was no need to hold a referendum to change section 44 because the High Court’s decision to disqualify the five MPs would ensure ­political parties conducted more thorough tests in future.