Australia gov’t in turmoil after dual citizenship ruling

SYDNEY — The Australian government was thrown into turmoil yesterday after losing its one-seat majority when the nation's highest court ruled the deputy prime minister was ineligible to sit in parliament over his dual citizenship.

Barnaby Joyce was among seven politicians embroiled in a crisis after falling afoul of a previously obscure constitutional rule that bars dual citizens from sitting in parliament.

The High Court decision means the government has to hold a by-election for Joyce's seat of New England in New South Wales state, which it has previously said it was confident of winning.

Joyce, the leader of the rural-based National Party, is Australian-born but found out in August he automatically acquired New Zealand citizenship through his father. He has since renounced his New Zealand citizenship. The governing Liberal-National coalition is expected to issue writs for the by-election later Friday, with the vote to be held as soon as December 2, Joyce said.

"I thank the court for their deliberations. I respect the verdict of the court," Joyce told reporters in Tamworth, a city in his New England seat, adding that he was "always prepared for this outcome".

"I had no reason to believe that, you know, I was a citizen of any other country that Australia. That is the way it is.

"Now I am going to make sure that I don't cry in my beer."

Of the so-called "citizenship seven", only Nationals senator Matt Canavan and independent senator Nick Xenophon were cleared for parliament.

The others, who are also upper house senators — the Nationals' Fiona Nash, the Greens' Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam and One Nation's Malcolm Roberts — were like Joyce also ruled ineligible.

The dual citizenship rule was originally inserted into the 1901 constitution to ensure parliamentarians were loyal solely to Australia.