One Nation senator resigns just three months after election
By Nick Newling
One Nation senator Warwick Stacey has resigned from federal parliament just three months after his election, citing personal health concerns.
In a statement released on Tuesday morning, the former soldier and hostage negotiator said he was “unable to fully dedicate” himself to his role as a senator for NSW due to unspecified health issues.
New One Nation senators Warwick Stacey (left) alongside Tyron Whitten, during the first sitting of parliament following their election. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“I don’t think a person elected to parliament should be anything less than completely dedicated to a role entrusted to them by voters, so I’m resigning to make way for someone who can do that on behalf of the people of NSW,” Stacey said.
He thanked One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who described him as a “man of principle”.
“It is with profound regret that we farewell [Stacey] from the Senate so soon after he was elected,” Hanson said.
“I was delighted when it was announced Senator Stacey had won a seat representing NSW. I knew he would bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise to our team along with the strong conservative values that made Australia great.”
Stacey is a former hostage negotiator. He served in the British and Australian armies and was also an SAS soldier.
At this year’s election, One Nation received its largest percentage of the Senate vote since its first election in 1998. The party’s representation in the Senate doubled to four.
Stacey won the final NSW Senate slot at this election, with 6.1 per cent of the state’s vote constituting less than half of a quota before preferences were distributed. His election took more than three weeks to calculate. The spot was initially anticipated to fall to Labor.
One Nation will now select a new senator to serve Stacey’s term. Alongside Hanson, the party also has Queensland’s Malcolm Roberts and West Australian Tyron Whitten in the Senate.
Rebecca Thompson, who entered politics “after witnessing the overreach of government power during the 2020 pandemic”, had the second spot on the One Nation NSW Senate ticket at the election. Thompson’s place on the Senate ticket does not entitle her to fill Stacey’s vacancy.
“Like so many Australians, she never imagined the country she loved would be pushed into such a state of fear and control. It was this moment that compelled her to stand up, not just for herself, but for her children and future generations,” a biography of Thompson reads.
Hanson and Stacey’s offices were contacted for comment. Thompson referred a request to comment back to One Nation’s statement.
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