the travelling rights of many oppressed peoples at that time. In 2003, Lightfoot was involved in an altercation on the floor of the House of Representatives during a visit by United States President George W. Bush. Australian Greens senators Bob Brown and Kerry Nettle were attempting to hand Bush a letter from the wife of Mamdouh Habib, an Australian citizen who at the time was being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, following his apprehension by United States forces in either (this is disputed) Afghanistan or Pakistan. Lightfoot physically blocked the path of the senators, elbowing Brown and reportedly telling Nettle to "Fuck off and die". On 17 March 2005, News Limited newspapers reported that Lightfoot, while on a parliamentary tour to Iraq, smuggled US$20,000 into the country on behalf of Woodside Petroleum as a donation for the Kurdish government, having been issued with a pistol for personal security. The newspapers published photographs of Lightfoot appearing with Kurdish militants wielding an AK-47. Lightfoot strenuously denied the allegations and threatened legal action against the newspapers carrying the story. Lightfoot denied handling the money personally, saying he merely witnessed the money changing hands. After speaking to Howard, Lightfoot issued a statement in which he said he felt "uncomfortable" having the gun with him and did not carry it personally. The newspapers in turn refused to retract the reports and accused Lightfoot of contradicting himself. Who's Who in Australia reports Lightfoot as being a life fellow of the International Biographical Association, a vanity press publication. In April 2007, facing near-certain defeat in a preselection challenge by Liberal Party vice-president Mathias Cormann, he announced he would retire at the end of his term in the Senate. Cormann was subsequently preselected to replace Lightfoot, but then selected unanimously by the WA Liberal Party State Council to replace Ian Campbell in the Senate, after Campbell announced his surprise resignation in May 2007. Michaelia Cash instead became Lightfoot's preselected replacement. Lightfoot retired from politics in 2008. Notes External links Parliamentary Profile 1936 births Living people Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia Members of the Australian Senate Members of the Australian Senate for Western Australia Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Western Australia Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly 21st-century Australian politicians 20th-century Australian politicians Australian monarchists