Senator pleads his case

SENATOR Malcolm Roberts has claimed he only ever considered himself Australian because he “was raised that way”, and it was news to him when his barrister said otherwise yesterday.

The One Nation senator was giving evidence in the High Court – sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns – and said he had always believed he was an Australian citizen until his barrister told the court that morning he was definitely British at the time he nominated for parliament.

“I only ever thought that I was Australian until I heard in court this morning,” the senator said.

“In my case, it was the conversations in our family and the way we treated each other that I was only ever considered Australian and I only ever considered myself Australian. “I was raised that way.” When Justice Anthony Keane pointed out he did not come to Australia until 1962, the senator said he believed he was Australian because he had travelled on his mother’s passport.

His barrister, Robert Newlinds SC, told the court earlier it would no longer be contested that Senator Roberts was a British citizen at the time he nominated for parliament. Senator Roberts said he would talk to his legal team about that.

Earlier the court heard Senator Roberts had sent two emails inquiring about his British citizenship to addresses that did not exist at the time.

Senator Roberts has claimed he sent emails to UK authorities on May 1 and June 6 last year rescinding his citizenship and it is enough to satisfy the law.

But barrister Stephen Lloyd SC, assisting the court, revealed that one email address was “clearly flawed” and another had been decommissioned from being used by the British government since 2010. He said the emails had no replies.

Senator Roberts is one of eight MPs caught out by the constitutional rule barring federal politicians from holding dual citizenship.