Australian deputy prime minister citizenship cloud #

You're referring to the recent controversy surrounding the Australian Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce, and his citizenship status!

For those who may not be aware, Barnaby Joyce, who is the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and the leader of the National Party, was born in Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia, to a New Zealand father and an Australian mother. This raised questions about his citizenship status, as he was born with dual citizenship.

Under Australian law, a person who is born with dual citizenship is not eligible to hold public office, including the position of Deputy Prime Minister. This is because the Australian Constitution requires that the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister be "electors" of the House of Representatives, which means they must be Australian citizens.

The controversy surrounding Joyce's citizenship status began when it was revealed that he had not renounced his New Zealand citizenship, which he acquired through his father. This raised concerns that he may have been ineligible to hold public office all along.

In response to the controversy, Joyce initially denied that he was a New Zealand citizen, but later admitted that he had been a dual citizen at the time of his election to Parliament in 2013. He subsequently resigned as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, and was replaced by Michael McCormack.

The controversy has sparked a wider debate about the rules surrounding dual citizenship and the eligibility of politicians to hold public office. The Australian government has since introduced legislation to clarify the rules and prevent similar situations from arising in the future.

It's been a bit of a "cloud" over the Australian government, but I'm sure they'll get through it!