Canberra, Nov. 3 (TNS): Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull has said he will not conduct a “national witch hunt” to resolve a dual citizen saga that has rocked the country’s politics.
Six politicians who were dual citizens when elected have lost their jobs since July. Under the constitution, MPs must be citizens of Australia alone.
Mr Turnbull has faced calls to resolve the saga with a parliament-wide audit.
But he again rejected the idea on Friday, after criticising what he called “absurd” scrutiny of a minister.
“We are not going to engage in some kind of national witch hunt. We are a nation governed by the rule of law,” Mr Turnbull said at a press conference.
On Friday, Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg became the latest politician to be caught up in the saga – denying suggestions that he could be a Hungarian citizen by descent.
Mr Frydenberg said his mother had migrated to Australia in 1950 as a “stateless” Jewish refugee, and he was “very comfortable” that he was not ineligible.
