MP Julia Banks not in the clear over Greek citizenship entitlement

FRESH questions have emerged about the eligibility of Victorian MP Julia Banks, with Labor querying whether she took active steps to renounce her entitlement to Greek ­citizenship.

MP Julia Banks is not in the clear over the active steps she took to renounce her entitlement to Greek citizenship. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

FRESH questions have emerged about the eligibility of Victorian MP Julia Banks, with Labor querying whether she took active steps to renounce her entitlement to Greek ­citizenship.

The Herald Sun revealed last week senior Liberals held great concern about the citizenship status of the Chisholm MP — who is of Greek heritage but born in Melbourne — and whether the appropriate vetting had been done.

The Liberal Party scrambled to confirm her eligibility and in a statement said the Greek Embassy had declared “that according to records, Julia Banks is not registered as a Greek citizen and also is not entitled as a Greek citizen”.

But Labor holds the view that Greek citizenship is automatically acquired at birth by the children of Greek parents.

“We think she’s got more explaining to do,” a Labor source said. “It all seems pretty loose … We assume more detail will be forthcoming.”

EMBASSY CONFIRMS BANKS NOT GREEK CITIZEN

JULIA BANKS NOT A DUAL CITIZEN: LIBERAL PARTY

MP Julia Banks is not in the clear over the active steps she took to renounce her entitlement to Greek citizenship. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Ms Banks holds the seat of Chisholm by only 2154 votes, and if deemed ineligible, it would force a by-election that would threaten the Turnbull Government’s grip on power.

The Herald Sun understands Labor candidates of Greek heritage are required to take active steps to renounce any citizenship links before they can be nominated.

Constitutional law experts said the automatic conferring of foreign citizenship was an untested legal grey area.

PARLIAMENT IS CERTIFIED CITIZEN INSANE

It disqualifies people from entering parliament if they are “a citizen or entitled to the rights or privileges of a subject or a citizen of a foreign power”.

Professor George Williams said it was “quite a broad provision” and the High Court had not dealt with matters of inferred citizenship.

“People are right to question because there’s enough there to suggest there’s an issue,” he said, prior to the Liberal Party’s statement on Friday night.

“Common sense would say (Ms Banks) shouldn’t have a problem but the law would suggest otherwise.”

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