Stefanovic slips in double entendre as Turnbull decries Greens' 'sloppiness'

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has lambasted the "extraordinary negligence" of the Greens for allowing two senators to serve while ineligible.

Speaking on TODAY this morning, Turnbull expressed his incredulity that both Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam were both elected while holding dual citizenship.

"It is pretty amazing, isn't it, you have two out of nine Greens senators didn't realise they were citizens of another country?" Turnbull said.

"And it shows incredible sloppiness on their part."

"When you nominate for parliament you've got to address that Section 44 question, you have to tick that box to confirm you're not a citizen of another country."

Host Karl Stefanovic then asked whether the prime minister would grant the Greens a "pairing" at the request of Senator Nick Xenophon.

"So my question PM this morning is are you going to give the Greens a pair, because they clearly need it," Stefanovic asked.

Turnbull stammers as he notices the double-entendre, stifling a smile.

But Stefanovic can't resist a laugh at his own joke, enjoying a hearty giggle as Turnbull tries to find the right words.

"Yeah, yeah, well, my, uh, okay Karl, thank you," Turnbull said as Stefanovic laughed.

"My um, my um, understanding is the Senate practice is to always grant a pair in those circumstances."

Ludlam quit last week when it was revealed he held citizenship from New Zealand.

Waters then resigned when it became apparent she held Canadian citizenship because she was born there.

Federal MPs born overseas:

* Mathias Cormann (Belgium)

* Larissa Waters (Canada)

* Anne Aly (Egypt)

* Eric Abetz (Germany)

* Maria Vamvakinou (Greece)

* Sam Dastyari (Iran)

* Malcolm Roberts (India)

* Tony Zappia (Italy)

* Penny Wong (Malaysia)

* Derryn Hinch (New Zealand)

* Sussan Ley (Nigeria)

* Ian Goodenough (Singapore)

* Peter Whish-Wilson (Singapore)

* Lucy Gichuhi (Kenya)

* Tony Abbott (UK)

* Doug Cameron (UK)

* Paul Fletcher (UK)

* Alex Gallacher (UK)

* Nick McKim (UK)

* Brian Mitchell (UK)

* Brendan O'Connor (UK)

* Nigel Scullion (UK)

* Josh Wilson (UK)

* Rebekha Sharkie (UK)