MEMBER for Barker Tony Pasin has ended speculation he may be a dual citizen by producing official documents yesterday proving he is a sole Australian citizen.
Under increasing scrutiny by national media, Mr Pasin yesterday personally presented The Border Watch documents from the Consulate of Italy in Adelaide.
These documents prove Mr Pasin is not a dual citizen and is not eligible to become a dual citizen of Italy.
This follows Mr Pasin’s name being listed among 11 federal MPs who face questions over dual citizenship by national media given his parents were born overseas.
The Liberal backbencher has also been named among federal MPs who have failed to produce documents proving their sole citizenship.
Speaking in Mount Gambier yesterday, Mr Pasin said he wanted to show The Border Watch documents to end the ongoing speculation.
“I made inquiries before I was preselected in 2012 and I am an Australian citizen and I don’t hold citizenship with any other country, including Italy,” Mr Pasin said.
Following the dual citizenship saga unfolding on the federal level, he revealed he recently checked this information given the controversy surrounding his colleagues.
“I am under the understanding the information I was given in 2012 is the situation today,” Mr Pasin said at his Mount Gambier electorate office.
He revealed this was a “relief” given the Coalition held government by a one seat majority and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce had been swept up in the dual citizenship issue.
“To have that confirmed is good so we focus on the things that matter, namely those things that matter to the people who live and work in Barker,” Mr Pasin said.
But he conceded the dual citizenship saga was a distraction for the entire parliament, whether it was Liberals, Labor or minor parties.
“It is something that needs to be resolved and when I speak with people out in the electorate they are particularly disinterested with the dual citizenship issue, they just want us to get on with the business of government and driving economic growth,” the Liberal MP said.
He revealed there were five separate matters now going to the high court.
“The high court will rule on these matters at some stage in the near future and we will obviously take the ruling of the high court and move on,” Mr Pasin said.
With the Coalition hanging onto power with just a one seat majority, he conceded the uncertainty was a concern.
“I’m waiting, as are my colleagues and Prime Minster Malcolm Turnbull, for the outcome of that high court referral and we will deal with that in the fullness of time.”
But Mr Pasin said it was difficult to predict how the high court would rule.
“In the meantime, we will get on with the business of government,” the politician said.
Asked why these constitutional dual citizenship matters had not surfaced earlier, he said it was a reasonable question but he was not qualified to answer.
“I certainly knew the provisions of section 44 (of the constitution) – I made inquiries in 2012 and satisfied the Liberal Party of SA that I was eligible to stand,” the Barker MP said.
“As I speak to people in my electorate they tell me that it is a bit ridiculous that someone as Aussie as Barnaby Joyce would potentially be a dual citizen.
“But I don’t want to pre-empt what the high court will say.”
