Jacqui Lambie Confirmed She’s A Dual Citizen And Will Quit Parliament

The farcical dual citizenship saga that’s taking down more politicians than any actual political scandal or indiscretion ever could deepens this morning, with Tasmanian senator/walking West Coast Cooler Jacqui Lambie confirming she is a dual national and will quit parliament today as a result.

Lambie has told a Tasmanian radio station this morning that she received confirmation of her citizenship status, and that she is indeed a Scottish national, putting her in the ranks of the raft of other politicians that have fallen afoul of the now-dreaded section 44 of the Constitution.

The Tasmanian Senator is expected to official resign from her post a little after midday, and will immediately return to the island motherland shortly thereafter. Her staff will reportedly lose their jobs.

Lambie asserted that she will immediately renounce her dual citizenship with the British Home Office, and will begin the task of re-contesting her spot in Parliament at the next Federal Election. She also stated that the contentious section of the Constitution does not need to be changed, and that other politicians more or less need to “suck it up” and get their act together. As for her own issues, she places the blame squarely on the now-defunct Palmer United Party, whose ticket she initially rode into the senate on before spectacularly binning them.

I was going to say what my father said to me this morning, you can’t keep a bloody Lambie down. I won’t be laying down, I’ll just get up and get back on and go again, simple as that.

No I don’t think we’ll ever [change S44], but I will tell you something right now. There’ll be checking like there’s no tomorrow, so I don’t think this will be an issue. Until you start hearing what’s been going on, it all comes out. Trust me, I’ve become a legal expert in it in the last fortnight, I can assure you.

I think because I was with [Palmer United Party], I would have thought there wouldn’t be any questions over it, they’ve checked all this.

Interestingly enough, Lambie hinted at a possible tilt at the lower house, noting she will be watching what happens with Justine Keay, the Labor member for the Tasmanian seat of Braddon. Keay is set to be referred to the High Court to have her own citizenship status tested. Lambie stated that she would “have a good look at it,” but cautioned that “it’s all over the shop here right now.

So long for now, Jacqui Lambie. A curious anomaly of Australian politics. Fairly right about some things, staggeringly wrong about others, and perhaps as good a representation of “middle” Australia as Canberra has seen in recent memory.

Go chase the mythical well-hung cashed-up dream tradie we all richly deserve in the meantime, old pal.

 

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