Greens Senator Larissa Waters has abruptly quit Parliament after learning she holds dual citizenship with Canada.  It comes less than a week after Greens Senator Scott Ludlam had to quit over an identical situation with New Zealand.

Because she was born in Canada to Australian parents, Ms. Waters believed she had been fully naturalized and didn't know about the residual link.  She hasn't been to Canada since she was eleven months old.

"I was devastated to learn that because of 70-year-old Canadian laws I had been a dual citizen from birth, and that Canadian law changed a week after I was born and required me to have actively renounced Canadian citizenship," Waters said in a statement.  "It is with a heavy heart that I am forced to resign as senator for Queensland and co-deputy leader of the Australian Greens, effective today."

This leaves the Greens without its two strongest performers in Parliament, and will mean the party will face two senate recounts in Queensland and West Australia.  Waters' departure could result in the return of Andrew Bartlett, who the ABC reports would be most likely to win that countback.  He released a statement praising her leadership.

"My immediate focus is on working with the many thousands of wonderful members and supporters of the Greens in Queensland to work through this situation so that we can continue to present an effective alternative to the establishment parties who fail our community and our environment so badly," said Mr. Bartlett.  "The party's membership will be having many conversations over the next few days as we process what has happened and determine what is the best way forward to ensure we remain a strong voice for the essential values the Greens promote."