Who are the Citizenship Seven?

Who are the Citizenship Seven?

ONE Nation leader Pauline Hanson has welled up over losing her Queensland senator Malcolm Roberts in the High Court citizenship saga.

The High Court of Australia handed down its decision this afternoon, ruling Mr Roberts out of Parliament along with Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and three others.

Ms Hanson teared up in a press conference this afternoon, describing Mr Roberts as her “rock”.

Mr Roberts’ seat will go to the next candidate on the Queensland One Nation ticket, Fraser Anning.

Mr Anning was facing bankruptcy proceedings which would have ruled him out of the seat, but the case has been dropped.

With tears in her eyes, Hanson said she was “absolutely devastated”.

“I’ve lost a great man in Malcolm Roberts. He’s my backbone,” she said.

“I think he’s unique and he has done so much for this parliament,” she added.

Mr Roberts said he was “disappointed” to be leaving federal parliament but the One Nation pair also used the press conference to announce that “Queensland has not lost Malcolm Roberts”.

Mr Roberts will stand for the seat of Ipswich in the upcoming Queensland state election.

The Queenslander also thanked Ms Hanson for standing by him during the citizenship saga.

“She has not flinched,” he said.

Ms Hanson appeared angry in the press conference when journalists began to suggest her party processes weren’t in order. One Nation also previously lost Senator Rod Culleton.

“It is devastating what has happened, but I am not the only person here facing this, the other parties are, and One Nation hasn’t been around as long as the others. You think they would have got it right and they haven’t,” she said.

Ms Hanson also refused to comment or apologise for saying “hand on heart” she had seen Mr Roberts’ citizenship papers to confirm he was not a dual-citizen.

Mr Roberts said: “The High Court has ruled that I was wrong. I do not apologise. It has confirmed I was genuine and honest in my belief.”

Nationals Senator Fiona Nash and former Greens Senators Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam were also disqualified by the High Court today.

Senator Nick Xenophon and Matt Canavan were the only two out of the “citizenship seven” to survive the High Court’s decision.

The decision causes a huge headache for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull whose government now loses its one-seat majority. Australia now has a hung parliament with a minority government.

The politicians, dubbed the “citizenship seven” were referred to the High Court after Greens senator Scott Ludlam resigned in August over his dual citizenship status with New Zealand.

In Australia, the constitution bans politicians from sitting in parliament if they hold citizenship to another country.

But no one — even some of Canberra’s most seasoned insiders — was confident which way the High Court would swing its gavel.