Greens want citizenship sweep
The major parties are reportedly conducting their own citizenship audits behind closed doors, while resisting public calls for a full review.
In the wake of the recent High Court ruling that declared several parliamentarians ineligible to hold their positions, the Greens are moving to establish a committee to compel all senators to produce evidence they are in compliance with section 44 of the Constitution.
After first rejecting the call, federal Labor is now suggesting it would back a process to uncover any additional dual citizens.
Fairfax media is reporting that both the Liberal and Labor parties are engaged in sweeping behind the scenes audits of all their MPs.
The internal audits reportedly began immediately after former Greens senator Scott Ludlam announced he was a dual citizen and resigned.
Within the Liberal Party, federal and state branched are doing legal checks on all sitting members of parliament.
Labor’s state and federal branches are doing the same, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Barristers and QCs have been brought in to provide advice for both parties.
While the major parties continue to be less than keen for an external probe, news of the internal review could prompt calls for the findings to be made public.
Greens Leader Richard Di Natale said the fact that the parties were going over their own members’ histories is “a sign of a government that has lost all credibility and is no longer fit to govern”.
“There is now no longer any excuse for the government not to commit unequivocally to a transparent, independent audit of every single member of parliament,” he said.
When the Senate next sits on November 13, the Greens are expected to unveil measures to set up a new senate select committee that would bring in citizenship experts to assess and provide advice.
The committee, if created, could report back by the final sitting fortnight on November 27.
The Greens want a similar committee to be established in the House, realising the Government would not support it but hoping Labor may take up the call.
Dr Di Natale said “the prime minister and the opposition leader need to stop acting in their own self-interest and start acting with some integrity”.
The Government has said an external audit would reverse the onus of proof and create a “witch hunt”.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says MPs should simply self-report their citizenship conflicts.
Mr Shorten on Saturday said all parties should sit down and “work out a process that restores the confidence of the Australian people in the Australian Parliament”.