I’m not Irish: Lyons MP
LYONS MHR Brian Mitchell has laughed off claims he is an Irish citizen.
Mr Mitchell, the federal Labor member for the central Tasmanian seat, said he was entitled to Irish citizenship by birth, but he had renounced that right before he was elected at the 2016 election.
He is among the latest MPs to be named in interstate news reports in reference to the citizenship scandal, which has put in doubt the election of members of the Liberal, National and Greens parties as well as independent Nick Xenophon.
But on his Facebook page yesterday, Mr Mitchell denied the claims, starting his post with an Irish phase roughly meaning “By God!”.
“Begorrah! ... in 2012 I renounced my British citizenship. I was born in the UK, my family immigrating to Australia in 1975 and, in 2016, I renounced my eligibility for Irish citizenship.
“My late mum had been born in Ireland.
“I learned of the possibility of Irish citizenship through the Labor Party’s rigorous nomination eligibility process.
“I am very disappointed I did not know earlier in life I could have claimed Irishness because I would totally have faked the cool accent.”
Mr Mitchell said one possible way of dealing with the problem of dual citizenship might be to require newly elected members to sign a declar- ation renouncing allegiances.
The dual citizenship debacle will be back before the High Court in Canberra for a hearing in October.
Four senators and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce were referred to the court earlier this month after it was revealed they did not meet the sole citizenship requirement of section 44 of the Constitution.
South Australian senator Nick Xenophon and NSW senator Fiona Nash will also be referred to the court over their British citizenship by descent when Federal Parliament next sits next month.
At a directions hearing in Brisbane on Thursday, Chief Justice Susan Kiefel set the matter down for a three-day hearing in Canberra from October 10.
One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts remains the most at risk of being disqualified from Parliament as he may have officially renounced his British citizenship after his nomination, the court heard.