Turnbull says Joyce is Kiwi, but can stay as deputy PM
NEW Zealand authorities have confirmed that Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce is a citizen of their country, putting Malcolm Turnbull’s slender majority in Parliament in doubt.
The Coalition holds a one-seat majority in the House of Representatives.
Under section 44 of the Constitution, being a citizen of another country makes a person ineligible to hold elected office.
New Zealand’s declaration of the Nationals leader’s dual citizenship puts increased pressure on him to step aside, at least while the matter is examined by the High Court.
Mr Joyce made the extraordinary revelation in Parliament yesterday that he learnt last week he could be a citizen of New Zealand by descent via his father.
“I have always been an Australian citizen, born in Tamworth, just as my mother and my greatgrandmother born there 100 years earlier,” Mr Joyce said.
“Neither I, nor my parents, have ever had any reason to believe that I may be a citizen of any other country.”
New Zealand’s Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne confirmed Mr Joyce was an NZ citizen under the Citizenship Act of 1948.
“If you were born overseas and at least one of your parents is a New Zealand citizen by birth or grant, you are an NZ citizen by descent,” the New Zealand Government website said about citizenship.
Mr Joyce’s father was born in New Zealand and came to Australia in 1947 as a British subject, as New Zealand and Australian citizenship was not created until 1948.
Labor has responded angrily to Mr Joyce’s declaration that on the basis of legal advice, he would carry on as Deputy PM and continue to vote on legislation in Parliament.
Tony Burke told Parliament Mr Joyce must step aside and not vote on legislation until the High Court had ruled on his eligibility.
The Prime Minister defended Mr Joyce, as a fiery Question Time kicked off with a query about his citizenship. Mr Turnbull insisted that the High Court would find in Mr Joyce’s favour.
“Based on advice from the Solicitor-General, the government is very confident the court will not find that the member for New England is to be disqualified from the Parliament,” Mr Turnbull said.
The latest saga comes on the back of two Greens MPs resigning over holding dual citizenship, and Nationals MP and Cabinet Minister Matt Canavan and One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts being referred to the High Court.
Neither I, nor my parents, have ever had any reason to believe that I may be a citizen of any other country. — Barnaby Joyce