Labor to challenge Family First senator elect

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    Family First senator-elect Lucy Gichuhi under pressure from ALP over citizenship concerns
    By political reporters Matthew Doran and Henry Belot
    Updated 25 minutes agoWed 19 Apr 2017, 9:43am
    Photo: Family First candidate Lucy Gichuhi. (Facebook: Lucy Gichuhi)
    Related Story: Family First's Lucy Gichuhi set to replace Bob Day in Senate
    Related Story: Why the woman likely to be the next SA senator is tough on welfare

    Map: SA
    The Federal Opposition will challenge the eligibility of South Australian senator-elect Lucy Gichuhi based on concerns about her citizenship.
    Key points:

    • Labor says legitimate concerns over Lucy Gichuhi's eligibility
    • Kenyan-born Gichuhi migrated to Australia in 1999, never held dual citizenship
    • High Court set to formally declare outcome of senate vote recount, when Labor will launch challenge

    Ms Gichuhi won a special recount of the South Australian senate vote last week, after her predecessor Bob Day was ruled ineligible to be elected at last year's poll.
    Labor's acting shadow attorney-general Katy Gallagher said there were legitimate questions about her eligibility that needed to be answered.
    "This is not about Ms Gichuhi, this is about the integrity of the Senate and the electoral system," Senator Gallagher said.
    "It is incredibly important that the validity of each senator's election is beyond question.
    "The last thing the country needs is a re-run of the Bob Day disaster."
    The Kenyan-born lawyer migrated to Australia in 1999 and said she became an Australian citizen in 2001 and never held dual citizenship.
    Australia's constitution precludes anyone with dual citizenship from being in the parliament.
    Kenya's High Commissioner to Australia said Ms Gichuhi automatically lost her Kenyan citizenship when she became an Australian citizen.
    Who is Family First's Lucy Gichuhi?


    The woman to replace Bob Day is from Kenya, and has been a volunteer lawyer with the Women's Legal Service.

    But legal experts argue a challenge could still be launched against her because of a change to citizenship laws in her country of birth.
    It is unclear if Ms Gichuhi had to provide formal proof of having renounced her Kenyan citizenship before running for Parliament.
    She maintains there is no issue with her eligibility.
    "I am an Australian citizen and am eligible to serve — I will continue to take advice on all of these matters as we move forward," Ms Gichuhi said in a statement last week.
    The High Court is set to formally declare the outcome of the recount this morning in Melbourne, when Labor will launch its challenge.
    Ms Gichuhi received 152 first-preference votes but she will receive the rest of Family First's votes.
    It is understood Labor has engaged the advice of experts in Kenyan law to advise the party on Ms Gichuhi's eligibility.
 
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