Bill Shorten is doubling down and refusing to apologise for his guarantee that no Labor MP’s were dual citizens because the party had such a thorough vetting process, despite three members suddenly resigning this week.
Labor backbenchers Susan Lamb, Justine Keay and Josh Wilson all dramatically resigned from the House of Representatives on Wednesday afternoon after revealing they held dual citizenship.
Minor party MP Rebekha Sharkie, who too was elected in 2016, also quit after the High Court found Labor senator Katy Gallagher was ineligible to sit in federal parliament because she is a dual Briton.
Bill Shorten is doubling down on his previous guarantee that no Labor MP’s were duel citizens because the party had such a thorough vetting process despite three Labor MP’s resigning due to being duel citizens
All of the MPs were deemed British citizens when the writs for the 2016 federal election were issued, which is in breach of the constitution.
Labor leader Bill Shorten, who last year said ‘we have a strict vetting process, there is no cloud over any of our people’, now says he acted in good faith after relying on Labor’s legal advice.
In an interview with 7’s Sunrise last year, Mr Shorten was asked directly is he could assure the public that all Labor MP’s and senators were eligible to sit in parliament.
Labor MP Josh Wilson (pictured) announces his resignation to the House of Representatives yesterday.
Labor member for Longman Susan Lamb (pictured) also had to step down and resign from her role
‘Yes I can, I am satisfied, Labor has a very stringent vetting system,’ Mr Shorten said in response.
Frontbencher Tony Burke says Labor had been relying on the so-called ‘reasonable steps’ test.
‘We now have a precedent that basically knocks out the reasonable steps test,’ he told Sky News on Thursday.
Mr Burke argued the opposition had tried to refer the MPs as part of package deal with the government, some of whose own MPs were in doubt.
‘It’s ended up where it has. We’re now in by-elections and the resignations will be in today for those members and they’re off in their electorates fighting their campaigns,’ he said.
Meanwhile, Labor is turning the spotlight on Liberal backbencher Jason Falinski, who insists he doesn’t hold Polish citizenship.
Labor member for Braddon Justine Keay (pictured) also had to quit due to being a British duel citizen
The MP lodged a new letter from the Polish Embassy on Wednesday.
‘I can confirm that according to our records you have never had a Polish passport, or a Polish identity card, and you have never applied through our Embassy to relevant Polish authorities to confirm the possession of Polish citizenship,’ the ambassador wrote to Mr Falinski.
But Mr Burke says he can’t reconcile that with documents held by the National Archives showing Mr Falinski’s father and paternal grandparents all declared their nationality as Polish in 1958.
There are now five federal lower-house seat by-elections pending. Four, including three for Labor, are as a result of the citizenship issue and the fifth is due Labor’s Tim Hammond leaving his seat for family reasons.
They are likely to be held on the same day, with June 16 the earliest possible date for a by-election Super Saturday.
Minor party MP Rebekha Sharkie (pictured) also quit after the High Court found Labor senator Katy Gallagher was ineligible to sit in federal parliament because she is a dual citizen