Dual citizenship in politics

Posted by: Nefertari

16th Aug 2017 04:03pm

Why is dual citiizenship such a big 'crime' in politics?? I refer to the recent controversy surrounding a member of parliament. He has dual citizenship because his father (not him) was born in another country and for the life of me I cannot understand why on earth this little fact should deny him the right to sit in parliament. Surely there must be more to this story ..( other than what I have heard on the news)... to cause such an uproar from other members of parliament. Our politicians should be concentrating more on the running of this country rather than wasting their time on such a trivial matter as dual citizenship!

Bazz

19th Sep 2017 12:33am

You've all missed the point. This is a very important issue. Do you have any idea just how much legislation has been passed by just 1 vote? This debate should motivate you to question your identity as Australians & the fact that we are not really a sovereign nation at all! What does the Constitution mean when it says "foreign power"? How is it logical that we disqualify politicians whose home country also swears allegiance to the very same head of state as we do? Look at Section 42 of our constitution. Every member of the Upper & Lower Houses must grovel to QE2: "I will be faithful & bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her heirs & successors, according to the Law." Then look at Section 44 which disqualifies any MP who "is under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power, or is a subject or a citizen or entitled to the rights or privileges of a citizen of a foreign power." So you can clearly see that our British Writers of our Constitution did NOT see neither the UK nor New Zealand, nor Canada nor any other country whose Head of State is QE2 as a "foreign power". So Fiona Nash, Malcolm Roberts & Nick X all get to keep their jobs, being traced back through British Citizenship. Similarly, Barnaby Joyce & Scott Ludlam's NZ citizenships are perfectly fine for the job they are doing. Even Larissa Walters' Canadian citizenship is quite acceptable in parliament today. How are any of these MP's home countries classed as a foreign power when no matter which of the Commonwealth of Nations they belong to all swear allegiance to the one same Queen & ultimately serve at Her Pleasure? Not until Australia becomes a Sovereign Republic can we be any more specific in defining that only those who were born here & are citizens here can serve as MPs. I dearly hope I live to see the day!

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