A university student is likely to become Australia’s youngest senator after the resignation of a politician he calls his “mentor”, the media reported on Friday.
UK-born Jordon Steele-John, 22, has agreed to replace Scott Ludlam in the Senate for the left-wing Greens party, reports the BBC.
Ludlam quit last week, becoming the first of two senators to resign for holding dual citizenship - a status which bars politicians from office.
Steele-John, who has cerebral palsy, says he will be a disability advocate.
He is tipped to replace Ludlam because he was next in line on last year’s election ballot paper, and he has the backing of his party.
The politics and history student came to Australia as a young child.
A wheelchair user, Steele-John says he is ready to be a “strong voice” for people with disabilities.
“The future belongs to young people. We need to be represented in our parliament,” the BBC quoted Steele-John as saying on Friday.
“There is a very large group of people who will now have a voice that truly understands and represents their interests.”
Under Australia’s constitution, a person cannot run for federal office if they hold dual or plural citizenship.
{{/usCountry}}Under Australia’s constitution, a person cannot run for federal office if they hold dual or plural citizenship.
{{/usCountry}}On Tuesday, fellow Greens Senator Larissa Waters, who was born in Canada, also quit for having dual citizenship.