Liberal MP Kelly O’Dwyer has suggested Australian-born citizens should get priority to become parliamentarians – apparently forgetting her own leader was born overseas.
The backbencher took to Twitter to reply to Scottish-born Labor senator Doug Cameron’s outrage at his government’s skilled migration plan.
The government is allowing mining magnate Gina Rinehart to use up to 1700 workers from overseas for a major project in Western Australia.
The decision has infuriated trade unions and some Labor MPs.
“My biggest concern is the lack of communication, the lack of co-ordination (and) the lack of consultation,” Senator Cameron told ABC Radio on Monday.
He said he would raise the matter in caucus on Tuesday.
“Sen. Cameron says we should prioritise Australian workers before bringing in foreigners,” Ms O’Dwyer tweeted.
“Does this also apply to Senators?”
Her comments have provoked outrage and ridicule on the social networking site.
Not only was Opposition Leader Tony Abbott born in England, the coalition’s leader in the Senate, Eric Abetz, was born in Germany.
In fact 13 of the 76 senators – almost a fifth – were born in countries outside of Australia, the Parliament House website shows.
Other coalition senators on this list are shadow assistant treasurer Mathias Cormann, the Country-Liberal Party’s Nigel Scullion, and the late Judith Adams.
In the lower house, 16 of the 150 politicians, including Mr Abbott and Prime Minister Julia Gillard, are naturalised citizens.
Members of the federal parliament must be Australian citizens.
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