Australian Politics

If I ripped off the expense system at work by a couple of grand, I'd be fired.

There was a time when any hint of impropriety would see a politician - or anyone in a position of power - instantly resign.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

That difference of $238, which pushes the offending into the category of minor indictable, could have major implications for Ellis's political future.

Under South Australia's constitution, if a member of the House of Assembly is convicted of an indictable offence, their seat becomes vacant, triggering a by-election.

Ellis, the independent MP for the Yorke Peninsula seat of Narungga, won't know if a conviction has been recorded until sentencing later this year.

But even if he is convicted, it's not clear if he would be kicked out of parliament and expelled from his seat, according to constitutional expert and professor of law at the University of Adelaide, John Williams.

Opposition Leader David Speirs said the door is open for Ellis to return to the Liberal Party if he avoids a conviction.

He's now considering if he will appeal the verdict, and if he does the court process will effectively start again, further delaying any legal outcome and any action the parliament might have to take.

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