Lucy Gichuhi: Difference between revisions

| successor = [[Alex Antic]]

| citizenship = Kenyan (1962–2001)<br />Australian (2001–present)

| party = [[Family First Party|Family First]] (Before 2017)<br />[[Independent politician|Independent]] (2017–2018)<br />[[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]] (2018–present)

| education = [[University of Nairobi]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])<br />[[University of South Australia]] ([[Bachelor of Laws|LLB]])

'''Lucy Muringo Gichuhi''' ({{IPAc-en|g|ɪ|ˈ|tʃ|uː|i}}; {{nee|'''Munyiri'''}}; born 23 September 1962) is an Australian politician who served as a [[Australian Senate|Senator]] for [[South Australia]] from 2017 to 2019. She was bornBorn in [[Kenya]], andGichuhi worked as an accountant before entering politics. FollowingGichuhi is a special recount ordered by the [[CourtSocial of Disputed Returns (Australia)conservatism|Courtsocial of Disputed Returnsconservative]], inwho Aprilhas 2017been shevocally was declaredopposed to havethe beenlegalization elected at theof [[2016Same-sex Australianmarriage federalin electionAustralia|2016same-sex election]] for the [[Family First Partymarriage]].<ref>{{Cite Thisweb|title='What followedis the courtnext?'s decisionSenator thatGichuhi [[Boblays Day]]out hadher not been eligibleopposition to standsame-sex for electionmarriage|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/what-is-next-senator-gichuhi-lays-out-her-opposition-to-same-sex-marriage|access-date=2021-12-31|website=SBS Gichuhi originally sat in the Senate as an [[IndependentNews|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite (politician)web|independent]], after refusingtitle=Subscribe to joinThe the Family First Party in merging into the [[Australian Conservatives]].{{!}} SheNewspaper joinedhome thedelivery, [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]] in Februarywebsite, 2018iPad, butiPhone failed& toAndroid win reapps|url=https://dsf.newscorpaustralia.com/theaustralian/subscription/|access-election at the [[2019 Australian federal electiondate=2021-12-31|2019language=en-AU}}</ref><ref federalname=":0" election]]./>

Day resigned on 1 November 2016 after the collapse of his homebuilding business, and was retroactively disqualified on 5 April 2017 for having an indirect interest in a building where the Commonwealth was paying rent for his Commonwealth-funded electorate office. At the High Court's direction, the [[Australian Electoral Commission]] performed a special recount of Senate votes in South Australia. The Court envisaged that this would result in Gichuhi replacing Day.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://indaily.com.au/news/2017/04/13/lucy-gichuhi-set-to-take-days-senate-seat/ |title=Lucy Gichuhi set to take Day's Senate seat |newspaper=[[InDaily]] |date=13 April 2017 |access-date=13 April 2017}}</ref> With Day excluded, all Family First votes above the line flowed to Gichuhi, and she was elected in the recount.<ref name="challenge"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cefa.org.au/ccf/it-lucy-gichuhi’s-senate-seat|title=Is it Lucy Gichuhi's Senate seat?|work=Constitution Education Fund Australia|date=28 April 2017|access-date=28 April 2017}}</ref><ref name="Re Day no 2">{{cite AustLII |litigants=Re Day [No 2] |year=2017 |court=HCA |num=14}}.</ref> Her election and term were dated from 1 July 2016, in common with all Senators elected in 2016.<ref name=Senator>{{cite webAu Parliament |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPIDmpid=270552 |titlename=Senator Lucy Gichuhi|publisher=Parliament of Australia|access-date=28 April 20172021-11-07}} In this profile, as of 28 April 2017, her term was deemed have begun on 1 July 2016 (in common with Senators elected on 2 July 2016); as of 21 May 2017, the term is dated to 19 April 2017.</ref> She was elected to serve the balance of Day's term, which was set at three years rather than the usual six owing to the 2016 election being a [[double dissolution]]; as a result, her term was due to end on 30 June 2019.<ref name=3years>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/coalition-and-labor-team-up-to-clear-out-crossbench-senators-in-2019-20160812-gqr29k.html|title=Coalition and Labor team up to clear out crossbench senators in 2019|first=Fergus|last=Hunter|date=12 August 2016|publisher=|access-date=1 November 2016}}</ref>

Before her election, athe question[[Australian wasLabor raisedParty]] in the court aboutchallenged Gichuhi's eligibility on citizenship grounds. Howeverin thisthe was[[High notCourt anof issueAustralia|High asCourt]], however Kenya did not allow dual citizenship and she became an Australian citizen in July 2001, two years after her arrival in 1999.<ref name="No doubts">{{cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/bob-days-successor-lucy-gichuhi-says-she-is-eligible-for-senate-seat/news-story/3ad70812dae4bf66bffab432f7b0ae61 |title='No doubts' over Bob Day's successor |date=5 April 2017 |access-date=5 April 2017 |first=Meredith |last=Booth |newspaper=[[The Australian]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/04/06/likely-senator-confirms-aust-citizenship |title=Likely senator confirms Aust citizenship |work=[[Special Broadcasting Service|SBS]] |date=6 April 2017 |access-date=20 April 2017}}</ref> The [[Constitution of Kenya]] that was current at the time meant that any person who voluntarily applied for the citizenship elsewhere lost his or her Kenyan citizenship. Since 2010, Kenya has allowed dual citizenship; however, people who had lost their citizenship under the old law are required to apply if they wish to regain it.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kenya.asn.au/?page_id=13515 |title=Kenya Citizenship |publisher=Kenya High Commission |access-date=6 April 2017 |archive-date=19 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170419103130/http://kenya.asn.au/?page_id=13515 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The High Court rejected the [[Australian Labor Party]]'s challenge to her eligibility.<ref name="challenge">{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-19/labor-party-to-challenge-eligiblity-of-sa-senator-elect/8452514 |title=Family First senator Lucy Gichuhi survives ALP challenge over citizenship concerns |first1=Matthew |last1=Doran |first2=Henry |last2=Belot |first3=Joanna |last3=Crothers |date=19 April 2017 |access-date=19 April 2017 |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/breaking-news/labor-to-challenge-replacement-sa-senator/news-story/6893730c8f3ee97865f088c78569df37 |title=Labor challenged replacement SA senator |work=[[AdelaideNow]] |publisher=NewsCorp |access-date=19 April 2017 |date=19 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/apr/19/labor-to-challenge-family-first-candidate-lucy-gichuhis-eligibility|last=Karp|first=Paul|title=Court rebuffs Labor challenge to Family First senator Lucy Gichuhi|work= [[Guardian Australia]]|date=20 April 2017|access-date=20 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/HCATrans/2017/86.html|title=Re Day [2017]|work=[[AustLII]]|date=19 April 2017|access-date=22 April 2017}}</ref> Later, Parliament changed the retroactive date of her term to 19 April 2017, when her eligibility was finally decided.<ref name=Senator/>

At the 2019 election, Gichuhi only garnered 2,500 votes, and the Liberal vote was nowhere near enough for her to retain her seat. As a result, her Senate term ended on 30 June 2019.<ref>http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/2019/2019senatesa.txt {{Bare URL plain text|date=March 2022}}</ref>

She is a public opponent of [[same sex marriage]], and stated that she would vote against any proposed bill, regardless of the results of the [[Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-14/same-sex-marriage-if-the-survey-says-yes-how-will-your-mp-vote/9104112|title=How your MP will vote if Australia says Yes to same-sex marriage|date=1 November 2017|work=ABC News|access-date=14 November 2017|language=en-AU}}</ref> On 29 November 2017 when the bill was voted in the Senate, Gichuhi was one of twelve senators who voted against it.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/gay-marriage/samesex-marriage-bill-set-to-pass-the-senate/news-story/77e3a18b6f990ee542a96d9e75ff0c5d |title=Senate passes same-sex marriage bill |newspaper=News.com.au |publisher=News Limited |date=29 November 2017 |access-date=9 January 2018}}</ref>

In January 2018, Gichuhi visited Kenya and was the guest on television talk show ''[[Jeff Koinange Live]]'' hosted by [[Jeff Koinange]] on [[Citizen TV]].<ref>{{youtubeyouTube|tTm2UCbxGAQ|JKL {{!}} Daring to Dream, with Australian Senator Lucy Gichuhi #JKLive [Part 1]}}, {{youtubeyouTube|67-9HzT0yRw|JKL {{!}} Daring to Dream, with Australian Senator Lucy Gichuhi #JKLive [Part 2]}}</ref> In June 2018, a clip from this interview was widely reported in Australia quoting that she had said that her $200,000 salary in Australia is "not a lot of money".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-18/lucy-gichuhi-says-salary-not-that-much-money/9880168 |title=Lucy Gichuhi says $200,000 salary is 'not a lot of money' |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |date=18 June 2018 |access-date=19 June 2018}}</ref>

[[Category:Australian lawyerswomen accountants]]