A member of federal parliament is expected to serve the interests of Australia first and not to have any conflicts of interest. The requirement that one has completely renounced other citizenships (or possible citizenships) before even nominating may be a little over the top, the requirements are well known and publicised, and not too onerous to achieve in light of the highly paid and responsible job of being an MP.

I think that the lesson has now been learnt and we should not get a repeat.

The alternative of a vastly expensive constitutional referendum for the convenience of a handful of people is hardly justifiable.

Dear SM,

«A member of federal parliament is expected to serve the interests of Australia first»

Expected by whom? Do you agree with Hasbeen's idea that the state of Australia is more important than the people of Australia?

I believe that a member of parliament, including federal parliament, should put the interests of those who elected her/him first, including when those conflict with the interests of the commonwealth of Australia.

To begin with, there is no guarantee that an individual having solo citizenship is going to put the interests of the state before his/her own.
Just because one renounces citizenship doesn't guarantee that their loyalties don't lay with that renounced no more that a Jew converting to Catholicism to avoid pain and hardship particularly for his family.
Delusional are those believing otherwise.
Next you'll be trying to tell me that those with an Irish heritage are going to ignore it in favour of non existent heritage of no value to him/her.
The indigenous Australians have Australian heritage....those of European/Asian origin have European/ Asian heritage
Any individual will follow his/her beliefs as they see fit.
Any politician, to this day, will side with interests outside this country and claim it to be in the interests of Australia so spare me the jingoistic quack quack presentation.
When I see someone saying 'No' to the US or UK then I'll believe Australia has started to turn the corner, and so will the populace begin to think they have an identity worth while.
Yap yapping about being Ostrayan just doesn't do it.
All should be allowed to retain dual even triple citizenship and put it on the table in full sight, revealing to all, the enrichment of the social fabric governing Australia.

We witnessed dual citizenship, in the form of the so called Australians who raced over to join Isis, and thought nothing of shooting at their so called, Fellow Australians.

Dont want people here who are prepared to shoot Australians. They are liars anyway, because they swear allegiance. Who needs liars and turncoats, not the type of people you want standing with you, in times of threats to the nation. They are more likely to shoot you in the back, as support you.

I think the top end of town is using taxpayers money to bring these people in and house them. We get the debt, whereas they line their pockets with the profits.

The whole thing is a deceitful mess on all sides. And it has a very good chance of ending in disaster, unless people who come here, realise they should leave their wars and hatreds behind them and truly become Australian in every way.

Maybe they want a civil war here, well there’s a good chance if they continue with their present mindsets, there will be one. You are either standing on our side of the line when catastrophe or war comes, or you are standing on the enemy side of the line.
Which is it? That's the way I look at loyalties. If you’re not on my and my fellow Australians side of the line, when the nation is threatened, you are no friend to us.
It’s a simple yes or no in my mind. No excuses. Excuses and reasons are a smokescreen for No!

CHERFUL,
It's not often I'm shocked and in awe when reading an individuals perception on social matters but I can tell you I found your contribution absolutely frightening.
To say that the conjecture, supposition and presumption, displayed in your submission left my mind in shock would be an understatement
I have to congratulate you in achieving what an average Jingo would find difficult to achieve but you managed to do it so succinctly.
I look forward to reading your future contributions so as to better understand the total sense of futility man has ahead of him.

Special Delivery
Thank you, I found your post insightful too. Saying that just because people hand over their dual citizenship, doesn't mean they do this at the intellectual, emotional level, is very true.
I would however prefer people not to have dual citizenship because it fails to set an expectation of loyalty to this country. I think we need to be up front with setting clear expectations and standards.
I tend to have a view of things, that people do find confronting. But I prefer the truth to ideology or confusing how we wish things were, with how they really are.

Look forward to seeing you on online opinion.