by Chris Becker
Looks like another minor party Senator is going home a non-believer. From the ABC:
One Nation’s Malcolm Roberts looks to be headed to the High Court over questions about his citizenship.
- Greens to move motion referring Malcolm Roberts to court over suggestions he failed to renounce British citizenship
- Jacqui Lambie, Derryn Hinch, Cory Bernardi expected to support Greens motion
- George Brandis says Senator Roberts’ declaration that he was entitled to sit should be believed
The senator’s colleagues are expected today to pass a motion referring him to the court over suggestions he did not renounce his British citizenship in time to nominate for parliament…
“On the facts alone I would support that, but I will listen to the debate,” Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm told AM.
The ABC has confirmed senators Jacqui Lambie, Derryn Hinch and Cory Bernardi also support the motion, the latter another One Nation ally.
It is understood Senator Roberts met with key crossbencher Nick Xenophon in a bid to secure a vote against the motion, but that the Nick Xenophon Team will ignore that plea and vote with the Greens….
Setting aside the absurdity of Section 44 of the Constitution – proving that old documents do need updating and upgrading from time to time – Robert’s assertions were all “based on a belief” that he was not a British citizen.
Well unfortunately for him that belief is being stamped out by evidence.
From Buzzfeed:
Official family immigration records obtained by BuzzFeed News reveal anti-immigration senator Malcolm Roberts personally signed that he was a British citizen.
Since questions emerged over his citizenship status last year, Roberts has denied he was ever a British citizen, while a spokesperson told the media that the One Nation senator was “choosing to believe” he was never British.
BuzzFeed News has now obtained the official citizenship applications of the entire Roberts family from the Department of Immigration, through an application lodged with the National Archives in Queensland.
Whoops.