The Reading / Listening - Dual Citizenship - Level 5

Australia's deputy leader Barnaby Joyce has been disqualified from his position because he held dual citizenship when he was elected. Four other politicians were also disqualified. Holding two passports made them dual citizens. This made them ineligible for being a "subject or citizen of a foreign power". Australia's constitution prohibits dual nationals from being elected. Australia's ruling National Party* now has just 75 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives. Mr Joyce could return to office by running in a by-election. He renounced his New Zealand citizenship in August.

Mr Joyce said the court's decision showed the democratic values of Australia. He said: "I respect the verdict of the court. We live in a marvelous democracy….It has given us all the freedoms we see. I thank the court." He added: "The decision of the court today is clearly not the outcome we were hoping for, but the business of government goes on." Many Australians believe the dual citizenship laws should be changed. Around 28 per cent of Australians were born overseas. Many have a family history going back generations that could allow them to have dual citizenship.

*CORRECTION: Australia's current government is a coalition between the Liberal Party and the National Party. The Prime Minister is Malcolm Turnbull from the Liberal Party. Barnaby Joyce is from the National Party.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Dual Citizenship - Level 4 or  Dual Citizenship - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-41772372
  • http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/10/27/560364872/australias-deputy-pm-is-removed-from-office-over-citizenship
  • https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-australia-politics/australian-court-rules-deputy-pm-ineligible-for-parliament-government-loses-majority-idUKKBN1CW022


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. disqualified
  2. he held
  3. Holding two passports made them
  4. a subject or citizen
  5. Australia's ruling
  6. Mr Joyce could return
  7. running in a
  8. He renounced his New Zealand
  1. by-election
  2. of a foreign power
  3. dual citizenship
  4. citizenship
  5. to office
  6. from his position
  7. dual citizens
  8. National Party

Paragraph 2

  1. the court's
  2. the democratic values
  3. I respect the verdict of
  4. We live in a marvelous
  5. not the outcome we
  6. the business of government
  7. born
  8. a family history going back
  1. generations
  2. democracy
  3. goes on
  4. of Australia
  5. overseas
  6. the court
  7. decision
  8. were hoping for

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Australia's deputy leader Barnaby Joyce (1) ___________________ from his position because he held dual citizenship when (2) ___________________. Four other politicians were also disqualified. Holding two passports made (3) ___________________. This made them ineligible for being a "subject or citizen of a foreign power". Australia's constitution prohibits (4) ___________________ being elected. Australia's ruling National Party now has (5) ___________________ in the 150-seat House of Representatives. Mr Joyce could return to office by (6) ___________________ by-election. He renounced his New Zealand citizenship in August.

Mr Joyce said the court's decision showed the (7) ___________________ Australia. He said: "I (8) ___________________ of the court. We live in a marvelous democracy….It has given us (9) ___________________ we see. I thank the court." He added: "The decision of the court today is clearly (10) ___________________ we were hoping for, but the business of government goes on." Many Australians (11) ___________________ citizenship laws should be changed. Around 28 per cent of Australians were born overseas. Many have a family history going (12) ___________________ could allow them to have dual citizenship.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Australia'sdeputyleaderBarnabyJoycehasbeendisqualifiedfromhisp
ositionbecausehehelddualcitizenshipwhenhewaselected.Fourother
politicianswerealsodisqualified.Holdingtwopassportsmadethemdua
lcitizens.Thismadethemineligibleforbeinga"subjectorcitizenofaforei
gnpower".Australia'sconstitutionprohibitsdualnationalsfrombeingel
ected.Australia'srulingNationalPartynowhasjust75seatsinthe150-
seatHouseofRepresentatives.MrJoycecouldreturntoofficebyrunning
inaby-election.HerenouncedhisNewZealandcitizenshipinAugust.M
rJoycesaidthecourt'sdecisionshowedthedemocraticvaluesofAustrali
a.Hesaid:"Irespecttheverdictofthecourt.Weliveinamarvelousdemoc
racy….Ithasgivenusallthefreedomswesee.Ithankthecourt."Headde
d:"Thedecisionofthecourttodayisclearlynottheoutcomewewerehopi
ngfor,butthebusinessofgovernmentgoeson."ManyAustraliansbeliev
ethedualcitizenshiplawsshouldbechanged.Around28percentofAustr
alianswerebornoverseas.Manyhaveafamilyhistorygoingbackgenera
tionsthatcouldallowthemtohavedualcitizenship.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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