39 Facts About Rod Culleton

Rodney Norman Culleton was born on 5 June 1964 and is an Australian politician who was sworn in and sat as a Senator for Western Australia following the 2016 federal election.

Rod Culleton disputed the effect of the court's order and claimed still to be a Senator.

The Senate vacancy left by Rod Culleton was later filled by his brother-in-law Peter Georgiou, One Nation's second Senate candidate for WA in the 2016 election, after an official recount.

Rod Culleton was declared as elected as a Senator for Western Australia on 2 July 2016 as the lead candidate on the Pauline Hanson's One Nation ticket during the 2016 election.

On 18 December 2016 Rod Culleton announced on Twitter that he had resigned from One Nation, citing a lack of party support and "un-Australian behaviour".

Party leader Pauline Hanson responded that Rod Culleton had been "a pain in my backside" and that she was "glad to see the back of him".

Rod Culleton was involved in a long and complex history of legal proceedings in relation to claims he owed money to a number of different companies.

Balwyn Nominees sought an order in the Federal Court that Rod Culleton be made bankrupt.

The court granted a 21-day stay on proceedings under the sequestration order, with Rod Culleton announcing that he would appeal the decision.

Rod Culleton's appeal was dismissed by a full court of the Federal Court on 3 February 2017.

Rod Culleton maintained that it was a stay of the declaration of bankruptcy, so that he continued to be a Senator.

Rod Culleton unsuccessfully sought a stay of the sequestration order in the High Court.

Rod Culleton was charged with larceny in relation to the missing key.

Rod Culleton successfully applied to set aside the conviction, with the conviction being annulled on 8 August 2016.

Rod Culleton then pleaded guilty to the offence, and was ordered to pay the truck driver's costs but a conviction was not recorded.

The car was moved and it is alleged that Rod Culleton tried to obtain a key.

In March 2022, Rod Culleton was charged with breaching quarantine directions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Western Australia.

Rod Culleton appeared in the Kalgoorlie Magistrate's Court on 4 April 2022.

Rod Culleton did not enter a plea and indicated that he intended to elevate the case to the High Court of Australia on constitutional grounds.

The WA larceny charge did not give rise to any question of disqualification as Rod Culleton had only been charged and had not been convicted.

Subsequently, the Australian Government asked the Senate to refer the matter to the High Court; the reference included a request to determine what should be done if Rod Culleton's seat were found to be vacant.

On 3 February 2017, the High Court determined the Senate reference, unanimously finding that Rod Culleton had been ineligible for election to the Senate.

However, the Court anticipated that a simple recount, as if Rod Culleton had not been a candidate, would make the votes cast for him would flow through to the next One Nation candidate.

Senator Rod Culleton was a person who had been convicted and was subject to be sentenced for an offence punishable by imprisonment for one year or longer at the date of the 2016 election.

Rod Culleton added that any salary paid to Culleton as a Senator had been paid without authority and accordingly was now a debt due to the Commonwealth; and that whether any of that debt should be waived was a decision for the government, on which Parry had sought advice from the finance minister.

In May 2017, Rod Culleton was informed by the Commonwealth Department of Finance that "payments made to you and in relation to you since the election on 2 July 2016 are a debt to the commonwealth" and might include superannuation payments, other entitlements and staff payments.

Rod Culleton was invited to consider his options, which could include providing evidence of his financial circumstances.

Rod Culleton told media that he would not be answering the Department's letter.

Rod Culleton commented that he intended to appeal the High Court judgment against him to the Privy Council: on being reminded that this has been virtually impossible since the Australia Act 1986, he said that he disagreed.

In 2018, Rod Culleton initiated the process to establish a new political party, The Great Australian Party, to stand candidates for the Senate in the 2019 Australian federal election.

Rod Culleton continued to refer to himself as a "senator-in-exile" and sought to appeal his disqualification to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom.

Rod Culleton became the party's lead candidate for the Senate in Western Australia in the May 2019 election.

Rod Culleton's nomination was immediately referred to the Australian Federal Police to clarify the possibility that he had made a false declaration on his nomination form.

In September 2022, Rod Culleton was charged with giving false information to the AEC when he nominated for the Senate as a candidate for The Great Australian Party.

At the 2025 Australian federal election Rod Culleton nominated to stand for election to the Senate.

Rod Culleton is separated from wife Ioanna who is of Greek heritage.

Rod Culleton's family came to Australia in the 1970s, when she was five years old.

Rod Culleton became an advocate for farmers after his own farm at Williams was foreclosed in 2013.

Rod Culleton is linked to at least three companies, including Elite Grains, that were in liquidation in 2016.