Terry Sweetman, The Sunday Mail, 22nd November 1998
Observant readers may have noted a certain antipathy has developed between myself and One Nation and, particularly, the fruitloops who have jumped onto its bandwagon of discontent.
Among those I particularly dislike is Heather Hill, whose whining annoys me almost as much as that of Pauline Hanson and her office boy.
I was among those who took not inconsiderable pleasure from her surprise failure to win the seat of Ipswich in the Queensland election.
However, even in the people's party, some people seem more equal than others, so she was given another go and won One Nation pre-selection for top spot on the Senate ticket.
And, like it or not, enough Queenslanders were sucked into her party policy void to send her to the Senate in a democratic and constitutionally valid vote.
Now, it seems, she might be disqualified on a technicality because while she belatedly took out Australian citizenship, she neglected to renounce her British citizenship.
Okay, rules are rules, but this seems nothing short of too smart-by-half nitpicking, particularly as most declarations of Australian loyalty somehow or other depends on an oath sworn to long-term London resident Mrs Betty Windsor.
I think it was blatant hypocrisy that a strident nationalist like Mrs Hill - who cuddled up under the Australian flag with Ms Hanson - didn't tale out citizenship long ago.
However, she didn't, but that was hardly a secret when she laced the voters. It didn't worry the many people who gave her their vote - not enough in the state election but quite sufficient in the federal poll.
Some have made the point - probably correctly - that those who aspire to public office should know better and make a point of reading, understanding and complying with the rules.
However, the rules should not be so involved that they become an impediment to serving the country nor a maze for the bitter defeated to trawl through the fine print looking for weapons of revenge.
According to the High Court, candidates should take "reasonable steps" to divest themselves of their former citizenship.
The mere fact that a person born in another country is prepared to stand up in public and become an Australian citizen seems to me a "reasonable step" towards renouncing any former allegiance.
If their former homeland does not accept their change of allegiance, that should be its problem, not ours, nor of our new citizen.
Yet the handbook for parliamentary candidates advises them to inquire about renunciation of citizenship through their relevant embassy or high commission.
It we're talking new Australian citizens here, why should they inquire of their former countries.
For our purposes, swearing allegiance to Australia should invalidate any previous loyalties.
As much as I dislkie her policies, as I think she's a humbug for waiting so long to take the oath, as dumb as she might be for not checking out the rules and the regulations, Heather Hill is an Australian.
And she is the Australian many wanted to represent them in the Senate.
It is hard to accept that the law is being used in an attempt to frustrate the will of the people.