Has a senator or a member ever been expelled from Parliament?
Hugh Mahon
T. Humphrey & Co, National Library of Australia, nla.obj-146268753
Hugh Mahon
T. Humphrey & Co, National Library of Australia, nla.obj-146268753
Description
The Hon Hugh Mahon MP is the only member of parliament to be expelled. He was expelled from parliament in 1920.
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Hi Pixie. Thanks for your question. Only one member of parliament has ever been permanently expelled and it was a long time ago!
In 1920, the Member for Kalgoorlie, Hugh Mahon, was expelled – dismissed – from the House of Representatives for a statement he had made at a public meeting. Mr Mahon was an Irish-Australian and he was speaking about the death of an Irish politician in a British prison. The statement, in which he referred to the British Empire as ‘bloody and accursed’, was considered by some members in the House to be 'seditious' – this means disloyal.
His seat was declared vacant and Mr Mahon was unsuccessful in the resulting by-election.
Usually, in the House of Representatives, if a member breaks the rules of the House, they are sent out for an hour, and sometimes they are suspended for a whole day.