Sydney: The resources minister Matt Canavan has quit the cabinet because he is a dual citizen of Italy.
Canavan’s resignation on Tuesday night follows the recent resignation of two Greens senators, Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam, because of dual citizenships — a controversy that has triggered questions about the eligibility of many other Australian parliamentarians.
Canavan told reporters on Tuesday night his mother had applied for Italian citizenship on his behalf without his knowledge or consent when he was 25 years old, in January 2007.
He said he had “no suspicion” he was in possession of a dual citizenship until last week, when his mother “raised the possibility”.
The Italian embassy subsequently confirmed he was a citizen of the country. “I was not born in Italy, I have never been to Italy and to my knowledge I have never set foot inside the Italian consulate or embassy,” Canavan said.
“I knew my mother had become an Australian citizen, but I had no knowledge that I myself had become an Italian citizen, nor did I request to become an Italian citizen”.
The attorney general, George Brandis, told reporters given Canavan had no knowledge about his status as a dual citizen, and the “legal uncertainty” surrounding the issue, the government would refer the issue to the high court for deliberation.
Australia’s constitution bars dual citizens from eligibility for elected office, unless they can show they have taken reasonable steps to sever foreign ties.
The lack of clarity over his eligibility puts a question mark over the long term political future of one of the most prominent National party parliamentarians, a significant blow for the party and a political embarrassment for the Turnbull government.
Canavan said he would not quit politics or the parliament until the legal questions The departure of two of the Greens’ nine senators — and the new furore involving Canavan — also follows recent high court proceedings against two other senators, Bob Day, who represented the conservative Family First party, and Rod Culleton, another right wing independent, after both offended constitutional provisions. The recently departed Waters took to Twitter to commiserate with Canavan.
