Hollywood takes swipe at Barnaby
HOLLYWOOD actor Amber Heard has joined in the chorus mocking Barnaby Joyce’s citizenship woes as the High Court yesterday moved to fast-track a resolution into the crisis which has plagued Federal Parliament.
The Rum Diary star, who was targeted by the Deputy Prime Minister along with former husband Johnny Depp for bringing their two pet dogs to Australia illegally, seized on the developments on social media yesterday.
It came as the Turnbull Government was again forced to defend keeping Mr Joyce in his role following the revelation he is a New Zealand citizen by descent.
“When Barnaby Joyce said “no one is above the law”, I didn’t realise he meant New Zealand law ...” Heard tweeted.
“To comfort Mr Joyce in his hour of need, I have sent him a box of New Zealand’s finest Kiwi fruit [assuming this passes his biosecurity laws].”
Heard and Depp last year pleaded guilty in a Queensland court to falsifying quarantine documents and had to pay a $1000 fine for bringing Pistol and Boo into the country.
The pair was also forced to record an awkward and humiliating apology video which was subject to worldwide ridicule.
The public feud between the Agriculture Minister the and the couple began when Mr Joyce threatened in 2015 to have the dogs put down if they remained in the country.
“It doesn’t matter if Johnny Depp has been awarded sexiest man alive twice, it’s time Boo and Pistol bugger off home ... or we’re going to have to euthanise them,” Mr Joyce said.
The High Court has confirmed it will hear Mr Joyce’s case, along with other four parliamentarians also revealed to be dual citizens, on August 24.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and senior government members went on the attack over Labor’s role in the saga yesterday, accusing Labor of conspiring with New Zealand Labour to undermine Mr Joyce’s position.
It emerged that a senior Labor staffer had spoken to New Zealand Labour MP Chris Hipkins to request him to investigate citizenship laws.
“It says a lot about the sneakiness, dishonesty and disloyalty of Bill Shorten that he would engage in conduct like that, but it is not surprising because Shorten has shown disloyalty all his life,” Mr Turnbull told colleagues in the Coalition party room.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop also sunk the boot into the Opposition Leader, claiming he had “sought to use a foreign political party to raise serious allegations in a foreign Parliament designed to undermine confidence in the Australian Government”.
Ms Bishop said she would find it difficult to trust a future NZ Labour government.
It forced NZ Labour leader Jacinda Ardern to respond, saying she would not let “disappointing and false claims” stand in the way of the relationship between the two nations.
Meanwhile, Denison MP Andrew Wilkie has responded to uncertainty about the Coalition’s majority by reiterating his policy of not doing deals to help parties form government.
Braddon MP Justine Keay has been named as one of five Labor MPs the Coalition may pursue on the grounds they have not done enough to end doubts about their citizenship.
British-born Ms Keay renounced her dual citizenship shortly before last year’s Federal Election but refused to release the confirmation letter from the British Home Office on the grounds it was “inconsequential” and contained personal information.