Government MP Craig Kelly has backed a "full audit" of MPs citizenship, saying it would stop a media-driven audit and describing the ongoing constitutional saga as the "death of a thousand cuts" of the Parliament.
It follows the Senate President, Stephen Parry's revelation that he may be a British citizen through his British-born father – days after the High Court formally disqualified five parliamentarians for having dual citizenship.
Up Next
Manus closure: centre being 'looted'
- Video duration
- 03:02
More National News Videos
Senate president caught up in citizenship scandal
Tasmanian senator Stephen Parry has sought confirmation from British authorities on whether he holds dual citizenship. Vision courtesy: Seven News.
Mr Kelly, Liberal MP for the western Sydney seat of Hughes, said the Australian Electoral Commission was best placed to conduct the audit.
"There's virtually an informal audit being done by the media, which is like a death of a thousand cuts," he told the ABC's Lateline program on Tuesday night.
"I think the best way to bring this to a head, to draw a line in the sand, let's have a full audit of everyone's record, put this behind us and move on and then going forward everyone will be crystal clear what the rules are."
Senator Parry is seeking advice from the British Home Office and says he will resign his position as Senate President and cease to be a senator for the Liberal party in Tasmania if he is confirmed as a dual citizen, which would put him in breach of section 44 of the constitution.
Senator Parry has not said why he waited until after last week's High Court verdict to come forward.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale told ABC radio on Wednesday morning he was concerned the government may have "misled the Parliament" by overstating its confidence in the advice from the Solicitor-General, which the government said would clear Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce.
The backing for an audit within the government came as Liberal senator and former cabinet minister Eric Abetz speculated there would be "quite a few" more MPs in Senator Parry's predicament.
"And I would simply call on all of them to do the right and honourable thing and follow the principled lead of the President of the Senate, Senator Stephen Parry," Senator Abetz told the ABC.
Senator Abetz's comment contradicts those made by the Attorney-General George Brandis, who said after learning of Senator Parry's revelation on Tuesday: " I have no reason to believe that there is anyone else in this position."
On Sunday, Senator Brandis told Sky News: "I have no reason whatever to believe that there is any other Coalition member who is in the same position."
"Nobody's pointed to any evidence whatsoever and it's not as if this hasn't been canvassed minutely … over the last two or three months," he said.
The citizenship crisis was triggered in July when Greens Senator Scott Ludlam revealed he held New Zealand citizenship. Shortly after, his colleague Larissa Waters discovered she held Canadian citizenship.
Unlike the Nationals and One Nation MPs who were later found to have held or been entitled to dual citizenship, both Greens senators immediately resigned.
Last week the High Court ruled Nationals leader and deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce was invalidly elected, along with his NSW Nationals colleague, Senator Fiona Nash. Senator Joyce is likely to be returned in a byelection scheduled for the seat of New England on December 2.
The court also disqualified One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts but cleared Nationals Senator Matthew Canavan, and South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon, who on Monday quit federal Parliament to contest the SA state election.
The Greens have been calling for a citizenship audit but have been rebuffed by the major parties. Senator Di Natale said the issue has blown into a "constitutional crisis."
A statement issued by acting Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek did not address the question of an audit.
Instead, Ms Plibersek said it raised questions about the Liberal Party's vetting processes.
"The Turnbull government is lurching from crisis to crisis," she said. "Malcolm Turnbull must tell Australians whether he knew there were doubts over Senator Parry's eligibility."
Read Again http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/death-by-a-thousand-cuts-government-mp-breaks-ranks-to-back-full-citizenship-audit-20171031-gzc8ua.htmlBagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "'Death by a thousand cuts': Government MP breaks ranks to back full citizenship audit"
Post a Comment