Australian Constitution, Section 44 (i).
"44. Any person who -

(i.) Is under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to a foreign power, or is a subject or a citizen or entitled to the rights or privileges of a subject or citizen of a foreign power: or ...."

In all this, spare a thought for those born overseas who cannot renounce their birth citizenship because the laws of their birth nation do not allow it; are they to be forever barred from public office?

Then there are the Irish, who, if a parent or a grandparent was born in Ireland are automatically citizens of Ireland.

How many MsP are affected by having relevant Irish ancestors?

Irish
http://www.dfa.ie/passports-citizenship/citizenship/how-do-i-renounce-my-citizenship/

Is Mise,

Sorry, I posted my link above not realising you had answered elsewhere and also your meaning.

leoj,

That's OK.

Let's go one better..... take a religion....claim it to be a nationality....and all those following that religion are automatically identified as being that nationality by that nation.

Where, and to whom, is the allegiance?

Take Australia....does it really matter who comes up with a good idea? or is it that one is concerned that the person at the trough isn't entitled because he/she is not perceived as being an 'approved' Australian.
I can just see it...a man jumps up and says danger! danger!, you're heading for a ravine and someone follows suit and says...'you're not one of us mate' so were not going to take any notice of you.

It seems to me that many an 'approved' Australian has been caught defrauding and deceiving.....this is not the domain of the non Australian but that of the common thief.
A society advances on the contribution of the few to benefit the whole and I'm not talking about the social welfare handouts.
Australian citizens having to do without because the system favours the freeloader.
Just hand it out....'plenty more where that came from' and if there isn't just borrow more...we're good for it!
The participants in this discussion seem to be more concerned about the politico, and his/her 'right to be' through origin than the competency of govt employees and the criteria under which they are employed.
Try calling Canberra and see if you can make any sense out of what is being said
Instead of promoting a system the produces the greatest good it seems you're trying to define the type of band aid that should be used.

Hey Foxy,
How long does a person have to live in this country to no longer be considered a foreigner?

That's a fair question, but you're actually asking me the wrong question.
The right question might be this 'What gift, bribe or inducement could I give you that you may be willing to allow yourself or your children to have laws decided for them by people who were born overseas?

The answer is none, theres nothing you can offer me that will make me think its a good idea.

So lets say you think it should be one way where I think it should be another...
You don't stand to lose anything, because you support being ruled by a foreigner, right?
But I don't agree with it, and I do feel that I have something to lose. Now you'd be willing to change the law to be the way you want it. But what is so important, what is it that you GAIN from being ruled over by a foreigner that is worth me losing my right TO NOT BE ruled by a foreigner?
So if we had it your way and allowed it, you couldn't ever say you had the support of the Australian people - because I'm an Australian and I disagreed.
Why would you want to do something that was against the express wishes of another Australian citizen in support of what a foreigner wanted?
Why would you sell me out like that?

I'd hope that you'd be getting some kind of payment and that its a large amount and worth it, because I cant see whats in it for you that is so important that you're willing to hang me and my family out to dry by supporting this.

I hope that puts my thoughts into better perspective for you.