Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. In December, the Prime Minister said:

We can't in good conscience fail to refer anyone—whether on our side or on Labor's side or on the cross bench—to the High Court if it is clear there are substantial grounds for believing that they are ineligible to sit in the parliament.

I say this without any partisanship at all. I would say the same thing about one of our members.

Will the Prime Minister be true to his word and refer the member for Dickson to the High Court?

Mr McCormack interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Prime Minister will cease interjecting.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. We all remember his rolled-gold guarantee about his dual citizen MPs and how they were able to sit in the parliament. It took two High Court decisions for the Labor Party to finally recognise that they were ineligible to sit here. The Leader of the Opposition referred to the member for Dickson. The member for Dickson has advised me that he has legal advice that he is not in breach of section 44, and I therefore have no reason to believe that he is.