The electoral watchdog says it expects Family First will soon lodge updated information about payments made to it by retiring Senator Bob Day.  The South Australian senator on Monday announced he was resigning from the upper house to deal with the fallout from his Home Australia group of companies going into liquidation.  Senator Day apologised for the pain, stress and suffering caused to the group's clients and workers by the collapse.  But Greens senator Lee Rhiannon said Senator Day had questions to answer about his almost $2 million payments to the party, after more than 200 homes were left unfinished.  "The people who had been left high and dry by his building company were forced to watch as Senator Day bankrolled his own political career," she said.  "You can see why the public cynicism and contempt runs deep."  It is likely liquidators McGrathNicol will examine the political payments as part of its investigation into the management of the group.  The Greens asked the Australian Electoral Commission in June to examine what Senator Rhiannon described as "irregularities" in donations and loans to Family First.  AEC commissioner Tom Rogers told a Senate hearing on Tuesday night the commission had "done some work in that space".  "I would expect there would be an amended return published on our website fairly shortly," Mr Rogers said.  He said he would not comment further as it was an "active" case.  Electoral commission returns record $938,975 in payments from Senator Day or his private company to Family First between 2010/11 and 2014/15.  An amount of $381,775 in 2012/13 hasn't been recorded as either a "donation" or "other receipt" in Family First's return.  The party's 2011/12 return originally showed $57,360 in total debts to "B Day".  An amended return submitted 18 months later disclosed total debts of $1.089 million to "Robert John Day".  The 2012/13 return records $1.471 million being owed to "B & B Day Pty Ltd".  The 2013/14 return records no debt owed to Senator Day or the company.  Senator Rhiannon said it would have been expected Family First would have made payments of at least $1.47 million to pay off the loan, but the disclosure only recorded $1.19 million in payments.
The Australian Greens say questions about Family First senator Bob Day's political donations are more relevant than ever since the collapse of his business.