Labour link with citizenship furore

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has indicated she would not be comfortable working with a future New Zealand Labour government after the party was accused of digging dirt on Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce.

Joyce may be forced to resign after New Zealand government officials found that he is in fact a New Zealand citizen, as his father was born here.

While the Department of Internal Affairs maintains that it made the finding as the result of media questions, many have accused Labour of dirty deals, after it was revealed that Labour MP Chris Hipkins asked two parliamentary questions related to the topic, following a conversation he had with someone involved in the Australian Labor Party.

‘‘New Zealand is facing an election. Should there be a change of government, I would find it very hard to build trust with those involved in allegations designed to undermine the government of Australia,’’ Bishop said.

She did not accept Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne’s assertion that the finding was the result of media questions and not the queries from Hipkins.

People cannot stand or serve in the Australian Parliament if they hold citizenship from any other country.

Joyce had no idea he could be a New Zealand citizen, and is moving to renounce his status while he takes the case to the Australian High Court.

As the Liberal-led coalition in Australia only has a single-seat majority, the resignation of Joyce could mean the government is taken down.

The Department of Internal Affairs is clear that its finding around Joyce, which has been checked by Crown Law, was prompted by media questions from Fairfax Australia, not any politician.

But Joyce blamed the New Zealand Labour Party in the Australian Parlia- ment yesterday, and Prime Minister Bill English has also been critical of Labour’s role.

Hipkins, a Labour MP, asked two written questions in Parliament about hereditary citizenship. He told Stuff these questions were the result of a conversation he had with an acquittance ‘‘involved’’ with the Australian Labor Party, but not an elected member.

Hipkins maintains that this person did not directly ask him to ask the questions, and that he had no idea they were specifically aimed at a single person.

He said he regretted asking the questions. ‘‘Had I been aware of the ramifications, I probably would have stayed clear. I have no intention to get involved in Australian domestic politics,’’ Hipkins said.

‘‘A little bit more homework and background checking would be a useful thing to do.’’

English accused Hipkins of interfering with the politics of another country.

Labour leader Jacinda Ardern is understood to have given Hipkins something of a ‘‘growling’’ in response.