The political career of South Australian senator Lucy Gichuhi appears to be coming to an end after the Liberal party decided to put her last on their senate ticket for the next federal election.
As the Liberals fourth candidate for the senate it is unlikely that Senator Gichuhi will be able to secure enough votes to remain in parliament.
Assistant Agriculture and Water Minister Anne Ruston will be given the top spot on the ticket, followed by current senator David Fawcett, the third position has been awarded to the Vice President of the South Australian Liberal Party – Alex Antic.
Senator Gichuhi stood for the Family First party at the last federal election, and entered parliament when Senator Bob Day was declared to be ineligible. By the time the High Court ruled that Senator Gichuhi should be in the parliament instead – the party she had been a part of was disbanding.
While several state based Family First politicians moved over to fellow South Australians Cory Bernardi’s Australian Conservatives, Senator Gichuhi opted to enter parliament as an independent.
In February the Senator announced she had joined the Liberal Party, bolstering the government’s numbers in the senate.
In recent months the senator has made headlines several times. It was revealed that she had incorrectly claimed travel allowances to bring members of her family to a function in Adelaide that celebrated her 55th birthday, the senator was forced to replay the funds.
Concern has also been raised about travel claims to senator has made for electoral business in Sydney when her electorate is in South Australia.
Last month footage of Senator Gichuhi being interviewed on a Kenyan television program. During the interview she lamented that there were no ‘house girls’ in Australia and described a back benchers salary of $200,000 per year as “not a lot of money”.
Senator Gichuhi was an outspoken opponent of marriage equality and is one of twelve senators who voted against the legislation that allowed same sex couples the right to wed.
OIP Staff
