Liberal Ben Small resigns from senate due to New Zealand dual citizenship

Liberal senator Ben Small has resigned from the senate after discovering he has dual citizenship in New Zealand.

Liberal senator Ben Small has discovered that he has dual citizenship and has had to resign from parliament. Source: AAP / LUKAS COCH/AAPIMAGE

West Australian Liberal senator Ben Small has resigned after discovering he is a dual citizen of New Zealand.

Mr Small, who filled the seat left by former finance minister Mathias Cormann last year, tendered his resignation to the senate on Friday after being queried by other Liberal party members ahead of the federal election.

Authorities confirmed on Thursday he'd gained New Zealand citizenship by his father being born there.

Mr Small has since been granted a renunciation of any citizenship rights and will remain a candidate for re-election in third place on the Liberals' Western Australian Senate ticket, behind frontbencher Michaelia Cash and Liberal Dean Smith.

"Hopefully a temporary hiccup and if we win three seats, I'm back from 1 July," Mr Small told AAP.

At the time of his birth, his mother was an Australian citizen and his father was an Australian permanent resident who was born in New Zealand.

"I had always understood that I had no entitlement to New Zealand citizenship based on the laws that applied at the time of my birth," Mr Small said.

"However, late last Wednesday 6 April, as part of preparations for the upcoming election, Liberal Party officials queried whether I may have an entitlement to New Zealand citizenship.

"Within 24 hours I took steps to engage with the New Zealand High Commission to clarify my status and, if necessary, to renounce any eligibility or right to New Zealand citizenship that I might have.

"Yesterday afternoon, Thursday 14 April, the New Zealand High Commission confirmed that I had been a citizen of New Zealand and, further to my application, granted a renunciation of any New Zealand citizenship rights."

Mr Small said while the Court of Disputed Returns will confirm his ineligibility, it was appropriate that he resign immediately.

He said he remained committed to fighting for his state.

"Now that any questions around my eligibility have been resolved, I look forward to continuing to campaign across WA as a candidate for the senate and to ensuring the Morrison government can continue to implement our plans for an even stronger Australia," he said.

Do you have an election question you’d like answered? Or a story you’d like us to cover? Email [e-mail]