An Australian government minister has become the third MP to be caught up in the country’s dual citizenship scandal after learning from his mother that she applied for him to become an Italian citizen through his Italian-born grandmother.

Matthew Canavan, a coalition MP who has never been to Italy, is awaiting checks as to whether he remains an Italian citizen.

He was told about his possible Italian citizenship by his mother following the resignations earlier this month of two MPs – both from the Greens party – who learnt that they were dual citizens and therefore ineligible to be parliamentarians.

Mr Canavan, 36, a senator and the minister for resources and northern Australia, said he was awaiting confirmation from Italian authorities about his citizenship status.

He said he did not know that – when he was 25-years-old - his mother had applied for Italian citizenship for him at the consulate in Brisbane.