US to start talks to renegotiate North America trade deal
His mother was Australian and his father was born in New Zealand and came to Australia in 1947 as a British subject.
“Neither I nor my parents have ever had any reason to believe that I may be a citizen of any other country,” he said. Joyce asked for the matter to be referred to Australia’s High Court for a ruling on his eligibility. He said he would not resign or temporarily step down from office after being told by Australian Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue that he was likely to be cleared by the High Court. However, should the High Court rule against him, it would likely end Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s government.
If Joyce was disqualified, Turnbull would be forced to rely on the support of independents to prevent a successful no- confidence vote from the opposition Labor Party.
“I think if Joyce is forced out, Turnbull would call an election,” said Peter Chen, a lecturer at the University of Sydney.
President Donald Trump will have the chance to turn a key campaign promise into reality with this week’s start of official talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.
After threatening during the campaign to rip up the agreement, Trump has softened his stance a bit and spoken more recently of renegotiating the agreement as the most efficient course for the US, Canada and Mexico. But talks to redo the controversial 1994 agreement, which eliminated trade barriers among the three countries, are expected to be thorny.
The first round takes place from Wednesday to Sunday in the US capital. Trump made NAFTA a defining issue of his campaign, frequently lambasting the deal as a “disaster” that sold out US workers and dismissing supporters who touted the deal’s benefits. His biggest gripe has been the dramatic shift in the US-Mexico trade balance. AFP