17 August, 2017
Before his early-morning statement, the 45-year-old's office would only say he was an "Australian citizen and does not hold citizenship of any other country". Despite initialling labelling the citizenship bungle a sign of "incredible sloppiness", it seems the prime minister's party is now leading the race.
Turnbull Government cabinet minister Michael Keenan has rubbished a media report questioning whether he may be a United Kingdom dual citizen.
The justice minister took to social media this morning to insist he renounced his British citizenship in 2004 before he entered parliament.
Mr Keenan has an English father who emigrated to Australia in 1943 and experts were quoted as saying that the Minister would hold dual citizenship unless he or his father underwent a formal renunciation process.
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has had his New Zealand citizenship status referred to the High Court but has remained in cabinet pending a decision.
Sable director Philip Gamble said that means Mr Keenan would also be a United Kingdom citizen.
His colleague Matt Canavan resigned his ministerial post after it was revealed his mother applied for an Italian passport on his behalf.
Mr Joyce told parliament that authorities in Wellington had agreed he could renounce the New Zealand citizenship unknowingly acquired from his Dunedin-born father.
The Justice Minister's name is the latest to be linked to the section 44 saga, which has also ensnared Greens MPs Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam, Liberal Matt Canavan and One Nation's Malcolm Roberts.
The Deputy Prime Minister says he will recontest his seat of New England should the High Court rule he was invalidly elected.
Mr Joyce has told Sky News he was "shell shocked" when he discovered he was a dual citizen, but says he has since renounced his New Zealand citizenship.
