Tassie MP snared in growing crisis

FEDERAL Braddon Labor MP Justine Keay is the latest politician to be caught up in Canberra’s citizenship scandal.

Ms Keay only applied to British authorities to renounce her UK citizenship in the leadup to the last federal election.

As the dual citizenship crisis widens, with scrutiny over MPs on both sides of the House, Ms Keay is caught in a similar situation to One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts, in that she only applied to renounce her UK citizenship shortly before the 2016 election.

Senator Roberts could have his case referred to the High Court.

He renounced any citizenship he may have been entitled to on June 6, 2016, but did not receive confirmation until December 2016 — six months after he entered Parliament.

Ms Keay is refusing to confirm whether British authorities had responded to her request to renounce her citi- zenship, and when that may have occurred.

“She had applied to renounce her UK citizenship prior to the issue of the writs and opening of nominations for the 2016 federal election. Her UK citizenship was re- nounced,” Ms Keay’s spokesman said.

The Liberal Party is scrambling to re-vet federal MPs to ensure all have relinquished any possible dual citizenship, before the crisis consumes the Turnbull Government.

After losing two senators, the Greens face intense pressure to release documents showing the date Tasmanian senator Nick McKim renounced his UK citizenship.

He was born in London and moved to Australia when he was five years old.

Liberal Party officials spent much of yesterday trying to determine whether Melbourne MP Julia Banks held Greek citizenship before discovering she was in the clear.

The Government holds a one-seat majority in the House of Representatives.

A senior Liberal source said those suspected of being dual citizens were being subject to a re-audit by the federal party.

The vetting was done, in the first instance, during the preselection process at a state division level.