Are we ready for a bi-election in Gilmore? Breaking news in the Sydney Morning herald @ 2:32pm this afternoon
"Liberal MP Ann Sudmalis scrambling to confirm UK citizenship status"
Reports are that the member for Gilmore, Ann Sudmalis is urgently seeking to clarify her status and has been in contact with the UK government to clarify her status.
It is reported that Ms Sudmalis was born to an Australian father and a British mother. According the the SMH journalist her mother did not renounce her UK citizenship until 1989. UK Home Office guidelines on citizenship giving up your citizenship or status only affects you and not any other members of your family. Before 1 January 1983 British women were not able to pass on citizenship to their children born abroad in the same way as British men. Children born before 1 January 1983 ( NOTE: Ms Sudmalis was born in Australia in 1955) to British mothers can apply for registration as a British citizen under section 4C of the British Nationality Act 1981.They will normally qualify if they would have become British citizens automatically under that Act had women been able to pass on citizenship in the same way as men. (source) The British Law A person will qualify for registration under section 4C of the British Nationality Act 1981 if: • they were born before 1 January 1983 • they would either: o have become a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC) under section 5 or schedule 3, paragraph 3 of the British Nationality Act 1948, if those sections had provided for women to pass on citizenship in the same way as men o have become a CUKC under section 12(2), 12(3), 12(4) or 12(5), of the British Nationality Act 1948, if those sections had provided for women to pass on citizenship in the same way as men, and women had been able to pass on British subject status in the same way as men before 1949 • they would have had the right of abode in the United Kingdom by virtue of ssection 2 of the Immigration Act 1971 if they had they become CUKC as set out in the previous bullets • the Secretary of State is satisfied that they are of good character (source) The Australian Law 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: (source) This too will be one for the courts to determine.
Above Ann Sudmalis with Julie Bishop
