‘It is absurd’ – Frydenberg slams dual citizenship suggestion

Josh Frydenberg this morning released an Australian Immigration Act document that clearly states his mother’s nationality as "stateless".

The Environment and Energy Minister told Fairfax Media it would be "absurd" if he was Hungarian considering the paperwork.

"When my mother and her sisters and her parents entered Australia after the war their status was ‘Stateless'," he said.
"It is absurd to think that I could involuntarily acquire citizenship of a foreign country from a stateless mother and grandparents."

Regardless, The Australian reports that Mr Frydenberg is desperately seeking confirmation he is free and clear.

He is believed to have enlisted the services of a consultant in Budapest to determine if he could be the sixth federal MP to be disqualified from parliament.

In what would be a devastating blow for the Turnbull government, the Liberal member could be a dual citizen by virtue of his "stateless" mother.

It is understood Mr Frydenberg’s mother, Erica, was born in Hungary in 1943 and fled with her family during World War Two. She spent time in a refugee camp before being brought to Australia when she was seven.

Anyone born in Hungary between 1941 and 1945 was automatically given citizenship to aid Jewish escapees of the Holocaust.

"As someone who was born in Australia with Hungarian ancestors who arrived in Australia after the Holocaust, I would be required to initiate and undertake a lengthy and formal application and interview procedure in order to be considered a Hungarian citizen," Mr Frydenberg said.

"Neither I nor anyone on my behalf has ever made such an application or engaged in such a procedure."

This follows Stephen Parry’s resignation earlier this week because of dual citizenship revelation and will only strengthen calls for a full audit.