I’ll quit before going to court, says Lambie

TASMANIAN senator Jacqui Lambie says she will resign if the documents about her family’s Scottish ancestry don’t prove she is not a dual citizen.

Senator Lambie spoke on radio yesterday claiming family documents showed her grandfather and father had renounced their UK citizenship.

“But I can tell you now, 4½ years ago when we sat down and looked at all this and we had advice and everything was tickety-boo and they said you don’t need to renounce your citizenship because you have nothing to bloody renounce,” she said.

Senator Lambie said she did not want to cost anybody money by referring herself to the High Court.

“If that be the case and the checks are done and they are not satisfied with what’s going on, then I will have to resign. Simple as that,” she said.

She is the third Tasmanian to be caught up in the citizen- ship crisis after the resignation of Senate president Stephen Parry and the problems facing Braddon MP Justine Keay.

Senator Lambie said she would happily release documents when Parliament required her to do so.

Polling analyst Kevin Bonham said Steve Martin, who was No. 2 on the Jacqui Lambie Network ticket at the 2016 election, would be elected in a recount if Senator Lambie resigned.

Mr Martin said he would make a decision at the time.

It comes as Nick Xenophon Team MP Rebekha Sharkie revealed she did not receive confirmation of her British renunciation until after the critical date.

She is under pressure to refer herself to the High Court.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten disagreed at a meeting on Wednesday, which aimed for a bipartisan approach to resolving the crisis that has claimed five senators and former deputy PM Barnaby Joyce.

Mr Turnbull said he wanted full disclosures before Christ- mas so any members under a cloud could be referred to the High Court.

He proposed an extra week of Parliament to resolve the issue.

Mr Shorten said wanted a stronger test.

“I’m concerned Mr Turnbull’s first pass at trying to resolve the matter doesn’t really enforce the High Court’s interpretation of the Constitution,” he said

In Launceston yesterday Labor infrastructure spokesman Anthony Albanese said the party would not be referring Ms Keay to the High Court.

“We don’t believe there is an issue with Justine Keay, she has been very totally transparent about the dates and what occurred with her circumstance,” he said.

Ms Keay has said she did not receive notification of her British renunciation until July 11 last year — nearly a month after the required date which was the closure of nominations on June 9. Labor