The stepmother of Susan Lamb has added doubt to the politician’s claims of abandonment she made through tears in Parliament on Wednesday.
The Queensland MP broke down when she claimed she could not renounce her British citizenship because her mother abandoned her at the school gates when she was six, and ‘is not around’ to provide her marriage certificate.
But her stepmother Maureen Cant said on Friday she was ‘deeply hurt and upset’ by the story, claiming Ms Lamb lived with her mother Hazel as recently as her wedding.
‘She did see her mother,’ Ms Cant told The Courier Mail.
The stepmother of Susan Lamb (pictured) has added doubt to the claims of abandonment she made through tears in Parliament on Wednesday
The Queensland MP broke down when she claimed she could not renounce her British citizenship because her mother abandoned her at the school gates when she was six, and ‘is not around’ to provide her marriage certificate
‘She lived with her, she got married while living with her. My husband and I went to the wedding. Her mother helped organise the wedding.’
Ms Cant – who was married to Ms Lamb’s father for more than 20 years – said the day her mother ‘never came back’ was when her parents separated and a friend was arranged to pick her up.
She claimed her mother then fought for custody of Ms Lamb, who turned her away in favour of her father and herself.
‘I am not friendly with her mother. I am not enemies, but the things she is saying about her mother I cannot understand,’ Ms Cant said.
‘I was there when her mother had access to her, she saw her on weekends whenever she could. Her mother tried to get custody of the girls just before her father and I got married.’
Her stepmother Maureen Cant said on Friday she was ‘deeply hurt and upset’ by the story, claiming Ms Lamb (left) lived with her mother Hazel as recently as her wedding
‘She (Ms Lamb) lived with her, she got married while living with her … ‘ Ms Cant claimed on Friday
Ms Lamb stood by her speech on Thursday despite her mother claiming she spoke to her only three years ago, and would be happy to help out if she made contact again.
Speaking from her home in Brisbane, Hazel Cant told The Australian: ‘She didn’t contact me but I would have definitely helped her.’
But Ms Cant did admit that the pair haven’t been close, adding: ‘I didn’t know about her going into politics until it was pretty much all over and done. It was a big surprise.’
Under pressure from the government to quit, Ms Lamb openly wept on Wednesday as she told her peers why she has been unable to get hold of her mother’s marriage certificate.
She claimed her mother fought for custody of Ms Lamb (pictured with Bill Shorten), who turned her away in favour of her father and herself
Ms Lamb stood by her speech on Thursday despite her mother claiming she spoke to her only three years ago, and would be happy to help out if she made contact again
‘One day when I was around six-years-old, my mum dropped me off at school and she never came back to pick me up,’ she said.
‘I don’t remember every detail about what happened afterwards, but I remember lots of tears… I remember lots of confusion… I remember my dad trying to explain.’
Ms Lamb needs access to her mother’s marriage certificate in order to prove to the UK Home Office that she is a British citizen before her citizenship can be renounced.
Under a 117-year-old section of the Australian constitution, persons with dual nationalities are not allowed to stand for parliament.