Shorten refuses to refer MP Susan Lamb to High Court
LABOR is refusing to refer a first-term MP to the High Court despite its own legal advice admitting she was “reclassified” as a British citizen decades ago.
NSW
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LABOR is refusing to refer a first-term MP to the High Court despite its own legal advice admitting she was “reclassified” as a British citizen decades ago.
The refusal is creating an extraordinary situation of having ineligible politicians still sitting in Parliament.
Susan Lamb’s attempt at renouncing her British citizenship was rejected by the British Home Office because she had failed to provide a copy of her parents’ marriage certificate, to prove to authorities she was a citizen in the first place.
Labor leader Bill Shorten will come under fire in this first week of Parliament sittings over his decision to keep Ms Lamb on the opposition benches instead of referring her to the High Court.
A long list of MPs were referred to the High Court last year over dual citizenship, with many losing their seats,
Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne yesterday told The Daily Telegraph that if “Mr Shorten cares about his own integrity, let alone that of Parliament, he must have Susan Lamb resign”.
“Every extra day that Bill Shorten relies on the vote of Susan Lamb in Parliament is another bad day for Bill Shorten and his reputation,” Leader of the House Mr Pyne said.
“The Coalition and minor parties all resolved their section 44 (dual citizenship) matters last year through referrals to the High Court and resignations. It’s way beyond time for Bill Shorten and the Labor Party to do the same.”
It is understood the Prime Minister’s Office is discussing a “live option” of using the government’s numbers — now that Liberal MP John Alexander had returned following his own dual-citizenship issues and re-winning Bennelong at a by-election — to refer Ms Lamb.
Mr Shorten yesterday wrote to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull offering to refer Ms Lamb to the High Court, along with Justine Keay, Josh Wilson and Nick Xenophon Team MP Rebekha Sharkie, in exchange for the government referring four of its own MPs including Jason Falinski, Nola Marino, Julia Banks and Alex Hawke.
Assistant Home Affairs Minister Mr Hawke and Ms Banks have both released documents from Greek authorities showing they are not dual citizens.
Mr Shorten declined a similar offer from the government in August.
Mr Shorten said the “citizenship saga of last year really annoyed a lot of people ... It casts the whole of Parliament into not the best light at all, so this year we’ve got to stop the nonsense”.
Ms Lamb’s mother, from whom she is estranged, earlier this year said she would have provided a marriage certificate in order for British authorities to process a renunciation.
Legal advice obtained by Labor says Ms Lamb has taken “reasonable steps” in renouncing her British citizenship despite her remaining a dual citizen at the 2016 poll.