Bill Shorten on Q&A: Labor leader grilled on citizenship

EXASPERATED Q&A host Tony Jones pressed Bill Shorten again and again to prove he isn’t British. Eventually it turned testy.

BILL Shorten has refused on national television to confirm if he has documents to prove he is not a British citizen.

The Federal Opposition Leader appeared live on Monday night’s ABC’s Q&A program amid the dual-citizenship scandal that has embroiled seven MPs and senators and left Malcolm Turnbull’s one-seat majority hanging in the balance.

Mr Shorten, whose father was born in England, told reporters earlier he renounced his British ties in 2006. But the Government has accused him of being a “hypocrite” for failing to release documents to prove his claims.

Bill Shorten on Q&A. Pic: ABC

Host Tony Jones on Monday night pressed Mr Shorten on the issue, but the politician refused to be drawn on whether or not the documents even existed.

“We don’t think we live in a nation where if someone makes an accusation you have to prove everything you say,” Mr Shorten said. “I know I renounced my British citizenship.”

Mr Shorten said there had been no demands on conservatives “or anyone else to produce their documents” and that he wasn’t “buying into ... allegations becoming truths until disproved”.

“In America ... they keep making allegations after allegations,” Mr Shorten said.

“Barack Obama had to produce his birth certificate and then they said it was a fake. Some people are never going to be satisfied.”

Tony Jones got a bit testy with Bill Shorten. Pic: ABC

Mr Jones continued to press, asking another three times whether Mr Shorten had the documents and could release them if necessary, but he didn’t get a straight answer.

“OK let’s just confirm this. You’re not going to release the documents, is that right?” an exasperated Mr Jones asked.

“Well I know what I am, and the point is we have a screening process,” Mr Shorten replied. “I’ve been clear four times.”

“No but, just ... So that’s a no, you’re not going to release the documents,” Mr Jones said.

“What is the case to release it?” Mr Shorten shot back.

“I’m just asking you,” Mr Jones said.

Finally I can say to everyone else.."No, where are you really from?" 🤓 #QandA

— Mariam Veiszadeh (@MariamVeiszadeh) August 21, 2017

#QandA oh FFS half of us were born elsewhere or our parents were. The constitution needs changing or half the pop not eligible to stand.

— Jane Caro (@JaneCaro) August 21, 2017

“I know I renounced my British citizenship,” Mr Shorten replied.

Mr Shorten said there had been no demands on conservatives “or anyone else to produce their documents” and that he wasn’t “buying into ... allegations becoming truths until disproved”.

“In America ... they keep making allegations after allegations,” Mr Shorten said.

“Barack Obama had to produce his birth certificate and then they said it was a fake. Some people are never going to be satisfied.

“I know what I am. We have a screening process. I’ve been cleared four times.

“What is the case to release (documents)? The High Court will resolve it.”

Senator Nick Xenophon, the latest Australian politician caught up in the dual-citizenship scandal, has described it as a “festering farce” and attacked his opponents for spending hours trying to knock him off.

The crossbench senator revealed he was a British overseas citizen by descent as a result of his father emigrating to Australia from a British territory. His news came after deputy Nationals leader Senator Nash revealed on Friday she was a UK citizen by descent, the third member of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet to be affected.

Senator Nick Xenophon announced that he is a dual British citizen at The British Hotel in North Adelaide, South Australia. Picture: Tait Schmaal.

Senior Nationals MP Darren Chester conceded it had been a “rotten few weeks” for his party.

“We need to be better at our vetting process when people nominate to be a candidate,” he told ABC TV on Sunday.

The Parliament has already referred Nationals senator Matt Canavan, Greens senators Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam, One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts, as well as Mr Joyce, the Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader, to the court. The High Court will hold a directions hearing on Thursday, where the timetable of proceedings should be laid out.

Attorney-General George Brandis expects High Court hearings won’t occur until October.

Greens Senator Larissa Waters (left) listens to Brisbane City Councillor Jonathan Sri speaking to the media after she announced her resignation in Brisbane, Tuesday, July 18, 2017. Ms Waters resigned as a result of her dual Australian-Canadian citizenship. Picture: AAP /Dan Peled.

Mr Shorten said the scandal didn’t call for an early election.

“I think Australians don’t want an early election because people didn’t check the fine print of their nomination in the Constitution,” he said on Monday night.

His comments came a day after Mr Brandis said that the Coalition, the Greens and One Nation had been upfront about citizenship issues and the only party playing games in relation to it was Labor. The Attorney-General accused Mr Shorten of having a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

Earlier Monday, Mr Shorten hit back at critics and declared he was not a “secret English agent”.

“I am fully aware that the Government is desperately trying to peddle its newest conspiracy, that I am a secret English agent,” he said.

“The reality is that no, I am not. I renounced my citizenship in 2006 — there is no whiff of evidence of anything to the contrary.”

Liberal MP Craig Kelly, who supports the crossbench idea of an audit of all members, said Mr Shorten owed it to the Australian people to reveal his documentation.

The Government has rejected the idea of an audit, with ministers arguing over the past week MPs should be trusted to do the right thing.

Mr Shorten said there was no cloud over any Labor MP.

He said the Prime Minister needed to explain why he let one minister, Matt Canavan, stand down over his Constitutional eligibility while two others, Barnaby Joyce and Fiona Nash, remained in Cabinet.

Fiona Nash announced she is a dual citizen to the Senate.

The ministers should be put on the interchange bench and debates on controversial legislation in Parliament set aside until the High Court adjudicated on the citizenship cases, he said.

“We can’t have the Government frozen like a wallaby in the headlights — we have to park the eligibility conversation,” Mr Shorten said.

Labor MP Peter Khalil, who was born in Melbourne to parents who came from Egypt in 1970, said the party’s processes ahead of his 2016 election campaign were thorough.

“We had two lawyers go into all of my details, going to my parents, my grandparents, contact embassies and consulates and make absolutely sure I’m eligible,” he said.

“I’ve got all the documentation.”

- With wires