Great Australian Party candidate quits over 'undermining of campaign'

William Bay is the latest federal election candidate to split from their party.

The Great Australian Party's lead candidate for the Senate in Queensland has announced his resignation from the party.

William Bay, who last year won a bid to resume medical practice after his registration was suspended over anti-COVID-19 vaccine activities, today announced he was resigning from GAP.

"I have resigned from The Great Australian Party due to my concerns over misuse of members' money and the undermining of my Senate campaign by party president Rodney Culleton".

He added that "people can still vote for senator Gerard Rennick number 1 as their sword, and I will continue to fulfil my oath to be the people's shield now as an independent at number 2".

GAP's website describes Bay as a "freedom-fighter".

Culleton was elected as a Senator for Western Australia in 2016 with Pauline Hanson's One Nation, but quit the party months into his term and was disqualified from the Senate after bankruptcy finding in 2017. He established GAP ahead of the 2019 federal election.

After nominating as a candidate this election, the AEC referred him to the Australian Federal Police, noting that "Mr Cullerton [his name is "Cullerton" with an "R" on the electoral roll] is listed on the National Personal Insolvency Index as an undischarged bankrupt...it appears therefore that he may have made a false declaration as part of his nomination process".

GAP had a joint ticket with the HEART Party in Queensland, where the Senate race is expected to be close between incumbents Malcolm Roberts (One Nation) and Gerard Rennick (People First), as well as Legalise Cannabis candidate Belinda Jones.

Bay is the fifth election candidate to withdraw from a party or be disendorsed following the close of nominations, with ballots printed and many around the country already voting in pre-polling.

Family First's Longman candidate Malachi Brogden Hearne was disendorsed for social media posts, Greens candidate Owen Fitzgerald withdrew in the seat of Franklin after discovering he holds New Zealand citizenship by descent, Trumpet of Patriots candidate Jason Smart withdrew in Flinders in opposition to the party's how-to-vote cards, and The West Australian reported on Tuesday night that Legalise Cannabis had disendorsed Canning candidate Paul Gullan over a "trail of antisemitic rants".

Meanwhile, multiple Trumpet of Patriots candidates have so far escaped disendorsement for their public criticism of the party's preference recommendations.

In an exclusive interview with 6 News, Makin TOP candidate Mark Aldridge said he was "pretty unhappy" with the decision to preference non-conservative candidates in key seats but stopped short of withdrawing as a TOP candidate, as Flinders TOP candidate Jason Smart did on Easter Monday.

And Lincoln Stewart, fourth on the TOP Senate ticket in Western Australia, has called on people to vote for him below the line, saying he "stands with you...not our party preference deals".