ALP and Greens say they will continue to prosecute the Coalition over its refusal to allow a citizenship audit of MPs

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Labor shows no signs of letting the constitutional citizenship issue drop, as it ramps up pressure on the Turnbull government to submit to its universal disclosure solution.

Labor and the Greens plan on continuing to prosecute the government over its refusal to allow either a citizenship audit or disclosure plan, despite lingering questions over the eligibility of MPs.

Alex Hawke and Josh Frydenberg were the latest Liberal MPs to be questioned over their citizenship status, which both strongly deny is in doubt.

Play Video 2:52 Turnbull defends Frydenberg over citizenship 'witch-hunt' – video

Labor in particular remains convinced the Coalition is vulnerable on the issue, which has hijacked the government’s agenda since July.

The high court decision last month, which saw five of the seven MPs it examined, including Barnaby Joyce, deemed ineligible for parliament, in a black letter ruling of the constitution, was seen as the beginning of the end of the saga, until Stephen Parry’s resignation last week.

Parry, the former president of the Senate who oversaw the referral of six senators to the high court, was found to be a citizen of the UK by descent in circumstances very similar to the former Nationals senator and deputy leader Fiona Nash, raising fresh questions over the eligibility of MPs.

Coalition MPs say citizenship audit could create 'witch hunt' Read more

Later revelations that Parry had confided in colleagues and had been told to stay quiet until the high court ruled boosted Labor’s stance on the issue.

Late on Sunday Penny Wong called for Hawke and Victorian Liberal Julia Banks, who was earlier pursued over questions of Greek citizenship by descent – which she denies – to be referred to the high court.

“Australians can no longer believe [Malcolm] Turnbull or his MPs when they say ‘trust us’,” Wong said in a statement. “How many other MPs and senators in similar situations to Stephen Parry are they covering up?

“This is becoming a test of leadership for Malcolm Turnbull.

“Will he listen to Australians who just want this soap opera to end? Or is he so out of touch that he will continue to ignore this crisis?”

Despite party executives carrying out their own checks in the background, the government continues to deny the need for a wider audit, deemed a “witch hunt” in talking points.

But backbenchers including Tony Abbott loyalist Kevin Andrews, Craig Kelly and Eric Abetz have backed calls for an audit, which they say will help restore public trust in the parliament.

Not all their colleagues agree.

“There are many adjectives I could use to describe Kevin Andrews but mischievous is not one which jumps to mind,” Jason Falinski said in response to a question on Sky about Andrews’ motives.

“Look, the fact of the matter is the people want us to get on with dealing with issues which are of concern to them, they find this is an unnecessary distraction.

Turnbull says no audit, but rolling eligibility audit there will be | Katharine Murphy Read more

“An audit or a universal declaration is not going to do that, because as the prime minister has pointed out again and again and again, there is only one body empowered in Australia that can make determinations of this nature and that is the high court sitting as the court of disputed returns.”

The government is sticking to its line that anyone who believes a member of parliament is ineligible should move a motion to refer them to the high court. However convention, which is yet to be broken, dictates the member themselves, or the party they belong to, move the motion.

A Labor source said the party had no plans, as yet, to break that convention.