In a last-minute finalisation of his campaign, independent ACT Senate candidate David Pocock has announced a running mate in Canberra's 'Voices of' movement co-founder Clare Doube and formally renounced both the Zimbabwean and South African citizenships he got from his complicated birth story.
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With the declaration of nominations and ballot draws occurring on Friday, The Canberra Times can reveal the renunciation of his citizenships, clearing Mr Pocock to run in the May 21 election.
It comes days after rival independent candidate Kim Rubenstein revealed she had picked ABC Canberra host Kim Huynh as her running mate, so both camps can secure the advantageous "above-the-line" position on the Senate ballot.
Ms Doube is the co-founder of the Canberra "Voices of" group, proACT, and a human rights consultant and mediator.
"I'm excited that Canberrans will have a real choice at this election and am delighted to be supporting a candidate with such integrity," Ms Doube said in a statement.
proACT is the group behind Mr Pocock's selection as a "community-endorsed" candidate.
"My whole campaign is about people and making politics, people again representing a community I love and I think Clare ... that's what she's all about," he told The Canberra Times.
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In a twist to Mr Pocock's campaign, it has been revealed while his family is from Zimbabwe he was born in South Africa over the border because his mother needed to go to the nearest hospital.
"So they just went through the border and had me in Messina which is right on the border in South Africa," he revealed. "And then a couple of days later, we're back and then they registered me in Zimbabwe, but because I was born in South Africa, I was eligible to be a South African citizen."
Renouncing his dual citizenships clears Mr Pocock to run as a candidate for the ACT Senate. The infamous Section 44, which forbids dual citizens from sitting in Federal Parliament and lead to a rash of disqualifications in 2017, has already led to Liberal senator and unbeknown dual New Zealand citizen Ben Small resigning from the Senate.
Mr Pocock moved from Zimbabwe with his family to Brisbane in 2002 after the family farm was taken by the Zimbabwean government. He moved to Canberra for his high-profile rugby career in 2012 and stayed.
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Karen Barlow
Karen Barlow is ACM's Chief Political Correspondent. Working in the federal press gallery, she investigates and writes about federal politics and government. She has an interest in integrity, leadership and social equity. She has covered two Olympics and been to Antarctica twice. Contact her on karen.barlow@canberratimes.com.au
Karen Barlow is ACM's Chief Political Correspondent. Working in the federal press gallery, she investigates and writes about federal politics and government. She has an interest in integrity, leadership and social equity. She has covered two Olympics and been to Antarctica twice. Contact her on karen.barlow@canberratimes.com.au
