Wannon MP Dan Tehan and Mallee MP Andrew Broad have declared that they have never held dual citizenship of another nation.
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The two MPs’ declarations, filed on Monday and published on Tuesday evening, appear to show they will avoid the Constitutional crisis that has seen other elected representatives resign or be pushed out of parliament.
Under Section 44 of the Australian Constitution and MP or senator cannot sit in parliament or be validly elected if they are “under any acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to a foreign power, or is a subject or a citizen or entitled to the rights or privileges of a subject or a citizen of a foreign power”.
Greens senators Scott Ludlam and Larissa Waters resigned from parliament in July after they discovered they were dual citizens, triggering a procession of other MPs and Senators to resign or be forced out by the High Court.
Under pressure to restore confidence in parliament, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced last month that all MPs and senators must declare family circumstances that could grant them dual citizenship or any measure they had taken to renounce dual citizenship.
Both Mr Tehan and Mr Broad have declared “that at the time I nominated for election in this 45th Parliament I was an Australian citizen” and marked no next to the question “have you ever been a citizen of any country other than Australia?”.
Mr Tehan declared that his birthplace was Melbourne and and that his parents were also born in Melbourne, with his grandparents being born in Yea, Portland, South Melbourne and Seymour.
Some nations, such as the United Kingdom or New Zealand, grant citizenship to the children of citizens regardless of the location of birth while some nations such as Ireland grant citizenship to the grandchildren of citizens.
Mr Broad declared that he was born in Carnavon, WA while his mother was born in Bendigo and his father was born in Pyramid Hill.
Mr Broad delcared that his grandparents were born in Korong Vale, Derby, Echuca and Sutton Grange.
Mr Tehan wrote that he had “confirmed with family that no parent or grandparent held any other citizenship at any time or since I nominated for federal parliament”.
Mr Broad wrote that he had “verified with family records that all my parents and grandparents were born in Australia”.
Tuesday’s publication of the citizenship declarations has placed several more MPs and senators under suspicion that they had or currently hold dual citizenship, including Labor Batman MP David Feeney.