Forrest MHR refutes question of dual citizenship

Forrest MHR Nola Marino has denied suggestions she holds dual citizenship through marriage.

Mrs Marino’s possible dual citizenship was reported last week, with Italian law automatically conferring its nationality on people who married Italians before 1983.

Mrs Marino married her husband, Charlie Marino, in 1972.

Mrs Marino said in a statement that she had nothing to hide.

“I am an Australian citizen — and an Australian citizen only,” she said.

“I have never been a citizen of any other country.”

A spokesman from Mrs Marino’s office said the situation was similar to the circumstances of cleared Nationals senator Matt Canavan, who inherited Italian citizenship from his mother.

"The High Court found that in order to be an Italian citizen you are required to be registered,” he said.

“The court found it is about registration not relationship. Nola is not registered.”

Mrs Marino’s spokesman pointed to extracts from the Canavan court judgement as an example.

The extract states that in the concluding section of the joint report, the authors consider whether the issue of a certificate of citizenship is merely declaratory.

“... one can readily accept that the reasonable view of Italian law is that it requires the taking of the positive steps referred to in the joint report as ‘conditions precedent to citizenship’,” it reads.