Off the Record: Nick Xenophon’s not having a Brit of citizenship debate
THIS week in Off the Record, Nick Xenophon’s now a Brit (?) — maybe — and guided tours at SA Museum are on hold, because tour guides are getting facts wrong, and scientists mad.
SURELY it couldn’t be true. Nick Xenophon a British citizen?
Links to Cyprus or Greece seemed more plausible. But a Brit?
It was a story being put around by some of Xenophon’s political enemies. The theory was that because Xenophon’s father, Theo Xenophou, was born in Cyprus while the Mediterranean island was still a British territory before its independence in 1960, his father automatically became a citizen of the imperial oppressor.
And therefore, the theory held, so did his son.
Intrigued, Off the Record, made inquiries that stretched from London to Nicosia to find the truth.
The result was that like so many political stories — it was kind of true.
To become a British citizen, Theo would have needed to register his son Nick as such when he was born in Australia in 1959.
Xenophon told Off the Record that never happened.
“There has never been any registration of British citizenship,’’ he said. “Given my father’s attitude to the Brits he wouldn’t have been a part of that.’’
The citizenship debate has been a hot topic in Canberra in recent times. Green senators Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam quit parliament after discovering they were accidental citizens of other nations. Queensland Liberal Matt Canavan, may also face the same fate after blaming his mum for becoming Italian. One Nation’sMalcolm Roberts will go to the High Court to determine whether he is really of two nations because of suspicions he was also a British citizen at the time of his election last year.
Xenophon thinks an audit is needed of all MPs and Senators to clear up all the confusion.
“All of us should be subject to an audit, including me,’’ he said. “I am very happy to be part of that audit.’’
Museum’s guided tours are stuffed
GUIDED tours at the South Australian Museum have been consigned to history — for now — and there is some intrigue about the reasons.
Off the Record has been told the free volunteer-run tours were torpedoed when snippy scientists revolted over guides allegedly giving incorrect information to patrons.
Volunteers were told at a monthly meeting that the tours would be suspended because a scientist had overheard a volunteer making a blunder.
However, scientist-run tours for Indian Pacific passengers, as part of off-train excursions at the Museum featuring a “sumptuous dinner”, will continue to provide revenue for the North Tce institution.
A Museum spokeswoman, however, said the volunteer-guided tours had been “paused” because of a significant drop in patronage during winter, — last year’s average was two people a day. (Even with interesting exhibits like this at left).
“Due to this we thought it would be timely to pause tours to reflect on how we can maximise the experience for our visitors in the future,” the spokeswoman said.
“Guided tours at the Museum should return in October.”
Guess who, but don’t sue
RARELY do taxpayers get an insight into just how SA’s Independent Commission Against Corruption spends their dollars during its super-secretive investigations.
But that may be about to change as an unusual case unfolds in Adelaide Magistrates Court.
Off The Record has learned an Adelaide man, who once enjoyed a high-profile role in the community, has run foul of corruption busterBruce Lander QC.
While we can’t reveal details of the case because of extensive suppression orders — that even include the sensitive nature of the two charges the man is facing — we can say it is the first case of its type since the ICAC opened its doors in 2013.
Curiously, while the organisation normally issues a glowing public statement each time one of its investigations results in a criminal charge, on this occasion the practice appears to have been overlooked. Or not.
Playford fights for Leigh Creek’s coal heritage
WE thought we’d gone back in time more than 70 years when we saw Tom Playford fiercely advocating for the Leigh Creek coal mine.
Clearly, this week’s appeal wasn’t from the long-serving late premierSir Thomas Playford but his grandson — named Tom in family tradition — who is pushing for the preservation of historic relics from the defunct mine.Tom Playford, an Adelaide engineer pictured with his grandpa’s statue, is backing a foundation wanting to preserve the Leigh Creek coal fields lookout site, including a TENEX dump truck and a bizarre-looking 9W walking dragline.
The latter, a giant crane-like machine with a hydraulic “walking” system enabling it to move around, was sold at auction for scrap after Leigh Creek’s closure in November, 2015 — ahead of the shutdown in May last year of the Port Augusta power station to which it supplied coal. Former mine operator Flinders Power on August 2 provided notice the items would soon be scrapped, prompting Playford to enjoin on Leigh Creek’s behalf — just as his renowned grandfather did in the 1940s.
He appealed on behalf of the William Light Foundation, a group wanting to establish a Playford Heritage Park to preserve historic items at the coal mine site.
“We need to be creating opportunities from what we have, not selling out future opportunities that can be capitalised upon,” Tom Playford said.
“Local communities impacted by the transition from coal can create a vibrant future. The (state) government and Flinders Power should be working with communities right now, not against them.”
His grandfather famously nationalised South Australia’s electricity system in 1946, creating the former ETSA, because the-then private operators refused to use Leigh Creek coal, preferring New South Wales sources.
Leaky leaky
It’s the 20th anniversary of the last time the Liberals won a state election. Off the Record hasn’t heard of any celebrations, but a cake-cutting featuring John Olsen and Dean Brown can’t be far away. That government, of course, was notable for its leaking. Will a future Liberal government be similar?
Off the Record has been anonymously sent two internal policy documents considered by the joint party room this week. Both were small and worthy announcements in Tim Whetstone’s seat of Chaffey, but the method of delivery was certainly curious.
Waiteing game
LIBERAL defector Martin Hamilton-Smith might be considering helping out his former party after next year’s state election — but the former SAS commander might be facing a new enemy.
We hear word that former Today Tonight journalist andNick Xenophon media adviser Frank Pangallo is slated to run for his boss’s team in Major Marty’s seat of Waite at the March poll.
It would make for an interesting contest, given the seat’s history of throwing up surprises.
On the move
LONG-TIME media adviser Richard Lower has taken a step up to become chief of staff to Regional Development Minister Geoff Brock, replacing Malcolm Fearn. Lower has been replaced by Pamela Perre, who was employed in May to be “contact point’’ for all regional issues. SafeworkSA has a new top banana in Martyn Campbell who replaces Marie Boland.
Former Real Estate Institute of SA president Greg Moulton has left Harris Real Estate, where he was CEO, to start a consulting firm.