Call for citizenship audit for all Australian MPs as Senate President Stephen Parry reveals he may be a British citizen
THE Federal Government is under pressure to order a citizenship audit of all MPs and senators after Senate President Stephen Parry, above, revealed he might be a British subject.
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THE Federal Government is under pressure to order a citizenship audit of all MPs and senators after Senate President Stephen Parry, above, revealed he might be a British subject.
The potential disqualification of a sixth federal parliamentarian by the High Court has fuelled speculation that more sitting MPs and senators could have breached the constitution by holding dual citizenship – even unknowingly.
It follows last week’s ruling by the High Court that five MPs – including deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce and his National Party deputy Fiona Nash – were ineligible to be elected.
Angry MPs demanded to know why Senator Parry, a Tasmanian Liberal, had waited until Tuesday to reveal that he could have inherited British citizenship from his father.
In a letter to his Senate colleagues, Senator Parry said he had written to the British Home Office to seek clarity on the status of his citizenship within the United Kingdom.
“The British Home Office has sought further details from me today, which I have provided, and I await a response,’’ he said.
Senator Parry said he had made the inquiry on Monday after the High Court last week disqualified Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce and six senators from Parliament from holding dual-citizenship.
If the Home Office advises Senator Parry that he is a UK citizen, the former funeral director and police officer will immediately resign.
A recount of Tasmanian Senate ballot papers would most likely result in former Liberal minister Richard Colbeck returning to the Senate.
Acting Labor Leader Tanya Plibersek accused the Government of “lurching from crisis to crisis’’, while the Greens, the Nick Xenophon Team and Senator Cory Bernardi all called for an audit of parliamentarians’ citizenship status.
Attorney-General George Brandis said an audit was unnecessary.
“If anybody wants to make an allegation that a member of parliament was not duly elected because of a section 44 issue – or for any other reason for that matter – then let them make that allegation.”
News of the latest citizenship crisis broke as Nick Xenophon formally quit the Senate to run for South Australia’s State Parliament.
Mr Xenophon will be replaced in the Senate by former staffer Rex Patrick and remain the national leader of his party.