‘Kiwi’ Joyce learns fate tomorrow
AUSTRALIA: Tomorrow is D-Day for Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and his fellow ‘‘citizenship seven’’.
The High Court will rule if he has breached the Australian constitution, which would force him to stand down with the electorate going into a by-election.
If Joyce is disqualified the earliest a by-election could be held is December 2, which would mean the government would go into a full sitting week without holding the balance of power.
Section 44 of the constitution states anyone who holds a dual citizenship is ineligible to stand in parliament. In August, it was revealed Joyce inherited New Zealand citizenship through his father, who was born in New Zealand. He has since formally renounced his dual citizenship.
Joyce’s New England-based legal team, Everingham Solomons, said his case rested on asking the court to apply a more liberal interpretation of the word citizen.
‘‘Foreign laws determine if you’re a dual citizen,’’ Everingham Solomons associate Clint Coles said. ‘‘In not every case should we be applying the laws of a foreign country, we have to apply our own interpretation of whether they have acted in a way that makes them seem to be a citizen of a foreign country.’’
Last week, Joyce said he was enduring ‘‘an anxious wait, it would be ridiculous to say anything else’’. ‘‘I’m hoping the decision either way is made as quickly as possible, so we know exactly what we’re off to next.’’
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