"The literature on this and oral advice from the UK Home Office is that this form of citizenship is quote "useless", and indeed in many cases it confers fewer rights than an Australian Citizen traveling on an Australian passport to the United Kingdom would have. “I have sought legal advice from an authoritative constitutional law barrister, and it is appropriate that I keep working hard for South Australians in the Senate until the case is determined later this year.”

The issue facing the senator is that his father, Theo Xenophou, travelled to Australia on British Colonial travel documents in 1951. That majority was placed in jeopardy earlier this week after Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said he may be ineligible for parliament due to New Zealand citizenship by descent. On Thursday evening, the Turnbull government’s crisis over dual citizenships intensified as the deputy leader of the National party, Fiona Nash, joined Barnaby Joyce in referring herself to the high court – in her case, on the basis that she has British citizenship by descent. “She has said in her view because a precedent was set with Senator (Matt) Canavan stepping down from the ministry she though it preferable that Barnaby Joyce step down from the Ministry but she has made it clear that confidence and supply for the government is not an issue,” he said. The parliament has already referred National senator Matt Canavan, Greens senators Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam and One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts, as well as Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals Leader Barnaby Joyce to the court The High Court will undertake the first hearing on Thursday but it could be months before it makes a decision.
Australian Senator Nick Xenophon is discovered to hold dual citizenship with Britain.