This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/dec/11/albanese-calls-for-end-to-citizenship-finger-pointing-as-labor-attacks-liberal-mp
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Albanese calls for end to citizenship finger-pointing as Labor attacks Jason Falinski | Albanese calls for end to citizenship finger-pointing as Labor attacks Jason Falinski |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Labor accuses Liberal MP of submitting inconsistent information about his grandparents’ marriage to register | |
| Paul Karp | |
| Mon 11 Dec 2017 04.26 GMT | |
| Last modified on Mon 11 Dec 2017 04.37 GMT | |
| Share on Facebook | |
| Share on Twitter | |
| Share via Email | |
| View more sharing options | |
| Share on LinkedIn | |
| Share on Pinterest | |
| Share on Google+ | |
| Share on WhatsApp | |
| Share on Messenger | |
| Close | |
| Anthony Albanese has called for an end to finger-pointing and an injection of “common sense” into the citizenship eligibility crisis, although his Labor colleagues continue to attack the government over the issue. | Anthony Albanese has called for an end to finger-pointing and an injection of “common sense” into the citizenship eligibility crisis, although his Labor colleagues continue to attack the government over the issue. |
| Labor accused the Liberal MP Jason Falinski of submitting inconsistent information about his grandparents’ marriage to the parliamentary citizenship register, raising fresh questions about his eligibility. | Labor accused the Liberal MP Jason Falinski of submitting inconsistent information about his grandparents’ marriage to the parliamentary citizenship register, raising fresh questions about his eligibility. |
| On Monday the Daily Telegraph revealed that in a cache of files from the National Archive, seen by Guardian Australia, both Leon Falinski and his wife, Maria, said they were married in Russia in 1942 – a year before their son, Stanley, was born. | On Monday the Daily Telegraph revealed that in a cache of files from the National Archive, seen by Guardian Australia, both Leon Falinski and his wife, Maria, said they were married in Russia in 1942 – a year before their son, Stanley, was born. |
| The documents appear to contradict legal advice provided to Falinski by Arnold Bloch Leibler. That advice concluded that because Falinski’s father, Stanley, was “born out of wedlock … he did not inherit your paternal grandfather Leon’s citizenship”, and Falinski was also unlikely to have inherited Polish citizenship by descent. | The documents appear to contradict legal advice provided to Falinski by Arnold Bloch Leibler. That advice concluded that because Falinski’s father, Stanley, was “born out of wedlock … he did not inherit your paternal grandfather Leon’s citizenship”, and Falinski was also unlikely to have inherited Polish citizenship by descent. |
| Falinski said he stood by his citizenship declaration, his lawyers were aware of the files and “satisfied that there was no documentation showing evidence of an official marriage”. | Falinski said he stood by his citizenship declaration, his lawyers were aware of the files and “satisfied that there was no documentation showing evidence of an official marriage”. |
| “Even if any of this is true, they lost their citizenship under Polish law at the time they migrated to Australia,” he said. | “Even if any of this is true, they lost their citizenship under Polish law at the time they migrated to Australia,” he said. |
| At a doorstop on Monday the manager of opposition business, Tony Burke, said the “facts emerging from archives do not match what is in the public declaration that’s been made by Jason Falinski”. | At a doorstop on Monday the manager of opposition business, Tony Burke, said the “facts emerging from archives do not match what is in the public declaration that’s been made by Jason Falinski”. |
| Burke criticised the Turnbull government for blocking a resolution that would have referred Falinski, Liberal MPs Julia Banks, Alex Hawke and Nola Marino along with four Labor MPs, and Nick Xenophon Team MP Rebekha Sharkie. | Burke criticised the Turnbull government for blocking a resolution that would have referred Falinski, Liberal MPs Julia Banks, Alex Hawke and Nola Marino along with four Labor MPs, and Nick Xenophon Team MP Rebekha Sharkie. |
| Burke said there was “enough doubt” in Falinski’s case that “he must go to the high court”. | Burke said there was “enough doubt” in Falinski’s case that “he must go to the high court”. |
| Although Burke was on the attack, Albanese, Labor’s infrastructure spokesman, called for “a little bit of common sense” in the debate on citizenship referrals on Monday. | Although Burke was on the attack, Albanese, Labor’s infrastructure spokesman, called for “a little bit of common sense” in the debate on citizenship referrals on Monday. |
| Asked on Sky News whether Falinski’s apparent inconsistency could be explained by “historical airbrushing” of the fact his grandparents were not married, Albanese said: “I haven’t got into pointing fingers at people and their backgrounds. | Asked on Sky News whether Falinski’s apparent inconsistency could be explained by “historical airbrushing” of the fact his grandparents were not married, Albanese said: “I haven’t got into pointing fingers at people and their backgrounds. |
| “How do I know, frankly, what the background of someone [is], what happened in the 1940s. I just don’t know. | “How do I know, frankly, what the background of someone [is], what happened in the 1940s. I just don’t know. |
| “I think it would be a really good idea if people stopped commenting on things that they don’t know.” | “I think it would be a really good idea if people stopped commenting on things that they don’t know.” |
| Labor has also come under pressure over its approach to the energy and environment minister, Josh Frydenberg. Some have privately advocated a more lenient approach given his citizenship status is caught up in the fact his mother fled Hungary to escape the Holocaust. | Labor has also come under pressure over its approach to the energy and environment minister, Josh Frydenberg. Some have privately advocated a more lenient approach given his citizenship status is caught up in the fact his mother fled Hungary to escape the Holocaust. |
| On Sunday the shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, said Frydenberg was one of several Liberal MPs who had not made “adequate disclosure”. | On Sunday the shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, said Frydenberg was one of several Liberal MPs who had not made “adequate disclosure”. |
| Dreyfus said he was sympathetic to Frydenberg’s situation but it was “not for me to say … that the constitution shouldn’t apply to him”. | Dreyfus said he was sympathetic to Frydenberg’s situation but it was “not for me to say … that the constitution shouldn’t apply to him”. |
| The defence industry minister, Christopher Pyne, defended Falinski, telling reporters in Adelaide on Monday: “I don’t think there [are] any revelations about Jason Falinski that cast him under any cloud at all.” | The defence industry minister, Christopher Pyne, defended Falinski, telling reporters in Adelaide on Monday: “I don’t think there [are] any revelations about Jason Falinski that cast him under any cloud at all.” |
| Pyne accused Labor of trying to create an “equivalence” between Coalition MPs and Labor to protect their own. | Pyne accused Labor of trying to create an “equivalence” between Coalition MPs and Labor to protect their own. |
| The Labor senator Katy Gallagher, who was a British citizen on the nomination date for the 2016 election, has agreed to refer herself to the high court. | The Labor senator Katy Gallagher, who was a British citizen on the nomination date for the 2016 election, has agreed to refer herself to the high court. |
| But Sharkie and the Labor MPs Justine Keay and Josh Wilson have refused to self-refer, relying on their belief section 44(i) does not disqualify them because they have taken “all steps reasonably required” to renounce British citizenship. | But Sharkie and the Labor MPs Justine Keay and Josh Wilson have refused to self-refer, relying on their belief section 44(i) does not disqualify them because they have taken “all steps reasonably required” to renounce British citizenship. |
| The decision to target Falinski raises issues for Labor MP Emma Husar, who also disclosed that her paternal grandparents were born in Poland. | The decision to target Falinski raises issues for Labor MP Emma Husar, who also disclosed that her paternal grandparents were born in Poland. |
| Husar has said she had made inquiries and was satisfied that she had not acquired Polish citizenship by descent but she did not include legal advice. | Husar has said she had made inquiries and was satisfied that she had not acquired Polish citizenship by descent but she did not include legal advice. |
| Husar attached a letter dated 24 May 2016 in which she acknowledged her father and she “may have acquired Polish citizenship” and purporting to renounce that citizenship, although no response from the Polish embassy was included. | Husar attached a letter dated 24 May 2016 in which she acknowledged her father and she “may have acquired Polish citizenship” and purporting to renounce that citizenship, although no response from the Polish embassy was included. |
| Anthony Albanese | |
| Australian citizenship | |
| Labor party | |
| Coalition | |
| Australian politics | |
| news | |
| Share on Facebook | |
| Share on Twitter | |
| Share via Email | |
| Share on LinkedIn | |
| Share on Pinterest | |
| Share on Google+ | |
| Share on WhatsApp | |
| Share on Messenger | |
| Reuse this content |