Australian Senate president in citizenship fiasco

World
Europe

Just days after Australia's High Court ruled that five members of the federal parliament were ineligible to serve for breaching the Australian constitution's dual citizenship laws, the federal parliament's Senate President, Stephen Parry, has declared that he may also be a dual citizen.

Last Friday, Australia's High Court ruled that five of the seven MPs and Senators accused of breaching Section 44 of the constitution were ineligible to sit in parliament, including former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and former government minister Fiona Nash.

Section 44 dictates that those under a foreign power, including dual citizens, cannot serve in the federal parliament.

Those found ineligible on Friday were all relieved of their roles in parliament.

The High Court of Australia has unseated Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce and four other politicians over dual citizenship on Oct. 27, 2017. /Reuters Photo

But in a further shock for the government on Tuesday, Parry, president of the Senate and Liberal Senator from Tasmania, revealed that he was also likely to be a dual citizen of Australia and the United Kingdom, and was prepared to resign should it be confirmed by the UK Home Office.

In a statement, Parry said if he was found to be a dual citizen, he would step down immediately.

"After the unanimous ruling handed down by the High Court of Australia on Friday, there is now absolute clarity about the application of Section 44 of the Australian constitution," Parry said in a statement on Tuesday.

"As a result of this, I have had cause to examine my citizenship status in relation to my late father having been born in the United Kingdom."

"Yesterday, I wrote to the British Home Office seeking clarity as to the status of my citizenship with the United Kingdom. The British Home Office has sought further details from me today, which I have provided."

"In the event I am found to hold British citizenship by virtue of my father's status, then I will clearly be in breach of Section 44 of the constitution and would therefore resign as president of the Senate and further resign as a Senator for the state of Tasmania, as I believe the High Court has made it abundantly clear what action is required," Parry said.

A sign stands outside the High Court of Australia in Canberra, Australia. /Reuters Photo

Parry's resignation would be another major blow to the government, which is still reeling after Joyce was found to be in breach of the dual citizenship law.

Joyce, who has since renounced his New Zealand citizenship, will have to win a by-election in his seat of New England in order to return to parliament.

Meanwhile, despite the latest revelation, the government has yet again ruled out an audit of every federal MP to uncover who is and who is not a dual citizen.

Speaking to Sky News on Tuesday evening, Trade Minister Steven Ciobo said it would be a "silly idea."

"(An audit is) one of these things that sounds great, but writing to every country on the planet and asking 'is there some way I'm a citizen of your country through some form of linear descent?' is a bit silly," he said.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency