The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia is 49 pages long and has 129 sections in 8 parts. So why did our founders go to all the trouble of having 2 clauses that deal with booting out MPs? It is because it was recognised that equality before the law and the rule of law are are foundational to our country. That speaking truth to power with our paramount right of free speech should be feared by dishonest politicians!
Section 44 deals with the reasons for kicking them out and section 46 gives EVERY SINGLE AUSTRALIAN THE AUTHORITY TO SUE THEM PERSONALLY IF THEY STAY IN THE POSITION AFTER THEY BREECH SECTION 44!
If you don't know the rules of the game - you won't know if they have scored or cheated
44 Disqualification
Any person who:
(i) is under any acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to a foreign power, or is a subject or a citizen or entitled to the rights or privileges of a subject or a citizen of a foreign power; or
(ii) is attainted of treason, or has been convicted and is under sentence, or subject to be sentenced, for any offence punishable under the law of the Commonwealth or of a State by imprisonment for one year or longer; or
(iii) is an undischarged bankrupt or insolvent; or
(iv) holds any office of profit under the Crown, or any pension payable during the pleasure of the Crown out of any of the revenues of the Commonwealth; or
(v) has any direct or indirect pecuniary interest in any agreement with the Public Service of the Commonwealth otherwise than as a member and in common with the other members of an incorporated company consisting of more than twenty‑five persons;
shall be incapable of being chosen or of sitting as a senator or a member of the House of Representatives.
But subsection (iv) does not apply to the office of any of the Queen’s Ministers of State for the Commonwealth, or of any of the Queen’s Ministers for a State, or to the receipt of pay, half pay, or a pension, by any person as an officer or member of the Queen’s navy or army, or to the receipt of pay as an officer or member of the naval or military forces of the Commonwealth by any person whose services are not wholly employed by the Commonwealth.
46 Penalty for sitting when disqualified
Until the Parliament otherwise provides, any person declared by this Constitution to be incapable of sitting as a senator or as a member of the House of Representatives shall, for every day on which he so sits, be liable to pay the sum of one hundred pounds to any person who sues for it in any court of competent jurisdiction.