Australian deputy prime minister citizenship cloud
You're likely referring to the citizenship crisis that affected several Australian politicians, including the Deputy Prime Minister, in 2017-2018.
In August 2017, it was revealed that several members of the Australian Parliament, including Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, had been dual citizens and therefore ineligible to sit in Parliament. This was due to a provision in the Australian Constitution that requires members of Parliament to be a "subject of the Queen eligible to be chosen as a member of the House of Representatives."
Joyce, who was the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, was born in New Zealand to a New Zealand father and an Australian mother. He had previously renounced his New Zealand citizenship, but it was later discovered that he had not formally renounced it, making him a dual citizen.
The citizenship crisis led to a series of resignations and by-elections, including Joyce's resignation as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. He was replaced by Michael McCormack, who is still serving as the Deputy Prime Minister.
The crisis also led to a review of the Australian citizenship laws, with the government introducing changes to make it clearer when someone is eligible to hold dual citizenship. The changes came into effect in July 2018.
Here's a timeline of the key events:
- August 2017: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reports that several members of Parliament, including Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, may be dual citizens.
- August 2017: Joyce confirms that he is a dual citizen of Australia and New Zealand.
- August 2017: Joyce resigns as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources.
- September 2017: The High Court of Australia rules that five members of Parliament, including Joyce, are ineligible to sit in Parliament due to their dual citizenship.
- October 2017: Joyce loses his seat in the by-election held to replace him.
- November 2017: The Australian government introduces a bill to change the citizenship laws to make it clearer when someone is eligible to hold dual citizenship.
- July 2018: The changes to the citizenship laws come into effect.
The citizenship crisis had significant implications for Australian politics, leading to a period of instability and uncertainty for the government.