Senate President Stephen Parry. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen He sought clarification about his citizenship status from British authorities on Monday, after the High Court dramatically ruled former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce and four senators were invalidly elected because they were dual citizens. The case also raises fresh questions about the citizenship status of other MPs whose parents were born overseas. In a statement, Senator Parry said the High Court's decision on Friday had provided "absolute clarity about the application of section 44 of the Australian constitution" and that he had written to the British Home Office to clarify his status. "This was the first opportunity to do so since the High Court ruling. The British Home Office has sought further details from me today, which I have provided, and I await a response," he said.

"In the event that I am found to hold British citizenship by virtue of my father's status, then I will clearly be in breach of section 44(1) of the constitution and would therefore resign as President of the Senate. I would further resign as a senator for the state of Tasmania and not await the outcome of any referral to the High Court, as I believe the High Court has made it abundantly clear what action is required." Senator Parry was due to leave Australia for a parliamentary visit to India on Saturday but cancelled in the wake of the High Court decision.



A spokesman for Senator Parry confirmed he made the decision to pull out of the trip on Friday night. But he said the decision was made because the verdict had made work for him as Senate President, not because of his own status. Constitutional scholar Professor George Williams told Fairfax Media that Senator Parry's case further underscored the need for a full audit of the parliament. "I've never thought that it would stop at seven. This is a matter of confidence in our parliament and its ability to function. We need a full audit of the Parliament or to hold a referendum [to change Section 44]," he said. The audit of MPs, Professor Williams said, should be conducted by a retired High Court judge and could take months - but was necessary.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale immediately renewed his party's call for an audit of all sitting MPs to "end this crisis". Acting Labor leader Tanya Plibersek said the government was "lurching from crisis to crisis" but stopped short of calling for a full audit. Labor has always insisted its vetting processes meant none of its MPs were potential dual citizens. Attorney-General George Brandis ducked questions about whether it was time for a full audit of all MPs, instead pointing out that Senator Parry and other government MPs had voluntarily come forward. "People who are elected to parliament, whether the Senate or the House of Representatives, whose election is declared are entitled to take their seats in the parliament. If anybody wants to make an allegation that a member of parliament was not duly elected because of section 44 or for any other reason for that matter…then let them make that allegation," he said. "It's not yet clearly established that Senator Parry is disqualified."

He added that Senator Parry expected a ruling on his status in the next few days. On Sunday, Senator Brandis said he had "absolutely no reason to believe" more MPs would be caught up in the dual citizenship fiasco. A Nationals source said there had been suspicion inside Coalition ranks about a number of Liberals for some time. "People have known for a while," the source familiar with the Coalition's citizenship woes said. "There's more coming, mark my words." Former Tasmanian Liberal senator Richard Colbeck, a former junior minister in the Coalition government, could take over the Senate position occupied by Mr Parry.

Because of the number of below-the-line preferences in Tasmania, a recount would be complicated and have potential knock-on effects: Greens senator Nick McKim could also be effectively unelected in favour of One Nation's Kate McCulloch. Loading However it's unclear whether that would have any practical effect.



ABC election analyst Antony Green said the court would not declare Senator McKim unelected if the Senate's referral only asked for a ruling on Senator Parry.