Jacqui Lambie, daughter of a Scot, joins citizen doubtfuls

Tasmanian crossbench Senator the latest MP to be drawn into citizenship scandal threatening Turnbull government.

Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie says she’s only discovered more about her father’s family history in recent weeks.

Tasmanian crossbench senator Jacqui Lambie has been drawn into the citizenship scandal threatening the Turnbull government and the integrity of Australia’s parliamentary democracy, after confirming her father was Scottish-born.

Senator Lambie told The Australian her father, Thomas, came to Australia as an infant and declared she was proud of her Scottish ancestry, saying she discovered more about her father’s family history only in “recent weeks”.

The Tasmanian senator has held discussions with her father and a lawyer about whether she is a dual British national — which would disqualify her from sitting in federal parliament — but insists she is a sole Australian citizen. National Archives documents show Mr Lambie arrived in Australia on the RMS Ormonde passenger liner in February 1952 with his parents David and Janet and brother James. An ASIC company search confirms Mr Lambie — who worked as a transport driver — held shares in a transportation company based in Ulverstone, Tasmania, where his daughter was born in 1971.

Senator Lambie, who was first elected to parliament at the 2013 election for the Palmer United Party, has previously talked of taking her father to Scotland and has described her family as “battlers” who lived tough lives.

Senator Lambie, who attended last year’s Scottish military tattoo in Melbourne wearing a tartan dress, issued a statement to The Australian insisting she was a sole Australian citizen, but did not provide any documents to support her case.

She did not answer questions on whether she had renounced any foreign citizenship before entering parliament or if she had clarified her status with the UK high commission or any British authorities.

Senator Lambie prepared her statement after being sent questions by The Australian about her father’s Scottish heritage, but released her response widely.

“I am proud of my Scottish ancestry and my father is too,” she said.

Senator Jacqui Lambie and her father Tom in her office after delivering her maiden speech in the Senate.

“I found out more about his family background in recent weeks as I wrote my autobiography ahead of its publication next year. I’m happy to put on record that I’m satisfied that my parents are both Australian citizens and I have no concerns about me being a dual citizen because of where they were born or came from, in the case of my father, as an infant.

“His father, my grandfather, came to Australia to enlist in the Army in fact. As far as I’m concerned all their affairs are in order, as are mine. A citizenship audit of all parliamentarians will clear the air once and for all, which is why I’m supporting such a move 100 per cent.”

Senator Lambie is prepared to present documents to support her case only “when she is required to”.

Steve Martin was next on the Jacqui Lambie Network Senate ticket for Tasmania and received 233 first-preference votes, according to the Australian Electoral Commission.

Senator Lambie took to Twitter on Monday to advocate for an audit of MPs’ citizenship, posting an image with the caption: “How many ex-pollies on a pension are a dual citizen? Share if you think they should be audited?”

Lest we forget the Centrelink Witch Hunt. Different rules for different people #auspol #politas pic.twitter.com/Oj2PrcjofK

— Jacqui Lambie (@JacquiLambie) November 7, 2017

Former Nationals Senator Fiona Nash was disqualified by the High Court after she revealed in mid August — three months ago — that, after seeking the advice of the UK Home Office, she was a British citizen by descent through her Scottish-born father.

The former Liberal Senate President, Stephen Parry, was also forced to resign his position after The Australian revealed he was a British citizen by descent through his father who came to Australia as a boy in 1951.

Senator Lambie has not said whether her father renounced any foreign citizenship prior to her birth in 1971 or if she had taken this step prior to her parliamentary career.

In her maiden speech, she claimed indigenous heritage through her mother’s bloodline, saying that her family traced its history over six generations to the “celebrated Aboriginal chieftain of the Tasmanian east coast, Mannalargenna.”

“I share their blood, culture and history through my mother’s, Sue Lambie’s, family,” she said.

The claim was contested by the Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania’s chairman, Clyde Mansell, who argued in September 2014 that there was “not enough evidence” to back up her indigenous ancestry.”

She broke away from PUP and became an independent Senator in late 2014 before establishing her own political party, the Jacqui Lambie Network in May 2015.