Brian Burston (NSW, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

People take up political careers for many reasons. Some do it for reasons of service, for humanity; others do it for the headlines and yet others do it because up until then they've led a solitary existence. If not for noble reasons, they should be held in contempt. This might be a bit cryptic for some to understand. There's going to be an explanatory follow-up a little later on. Some will get it; some will not. This speech is titled 'citizen of convenience' as it will highlight that some people, and a particular individual, are using the circumstances of the 45th Parliament purely to further their own personal agenda and not the agenda of the people of Australia.

In light of the dual citizenship fiasco, there's been one person at least who has attempted to manipulate the situation to be more about putting the spotlight on themselves than on resolving this debacle. In the public domain, they have claimed to be a UK citizen by descent, but they were born elsewhere—not Australia nor the UK. Have they renounced their UK citizenship or was their original claim just a lie? If we were to take their statements prior to them entering parliament at face value, they wouldn't have a passport and wouldn't be here—or were those statements lies too?

You might think that by saying this I'm being a wally. But hopefully my message will ring true and people's damaged reputations will be legally restored. Certainly there will be a legal process that will decide the outcome of events over the next few years one way or the other. The haze will be removed. The citizenship issue will be settled and there may be fewer people in this place or the other place—or just different people. Leaving here in disgrace can be short-circuited by leaving before you get exposed. You won't need to go sniffing around the bins. You'll no doubt be able to get some form of social security.

I don't have to be pulling money to and from my accountant's bank in the nick of time to avoid being caught out or put in financial straits, nor do I need to rip off charities. I just dip into my own pocket when I want to put on the nose bag and enjoy a feast. I don't rort the system, and I don't encourage others to either. I'm not going to tar people with mendacious comments. That would not be ethical, nor would it be the honourable thing to do. The honourable thing to do would be to jump before being pushed. The noose will be tightening around this person's neck soon, and perhaps their head will be small enough to put on a slouch hat. Perhaps their next job will be selling chocolates for charity on The Footy Show.