Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has been disqualified from his governmental because he held citizenship when he was elected. He was one of five who were deemed as being elected because they held two and were thus dual citizens. They were ineligible because they were a "subject or of a foreign power". Australia's constitution prohibits nationals from being elected. Mr Joyce's departure has put pressure on Australia's National Party, which now has just 75 in the 150-seat House of Representatives. Mr Joyce could return to by running in a by-election after he renounced his New Zealand citizenship in August.
Mr Joyce accepted the court's , which he said typified the democratic of Australia. He said: "I respect the verdict of the court. We live in a democracy. With all the checks and balances, it has given us all the we see. I thank the court for their deliberations." He added: "The decision of the court today is not the outcome we were hoping for, but the of government goes on." Many Australians believe the dual citizenship should be changed. The latest in Australia shows that 28 per cent of Australians were born . Many more have a family history going back that would entitle them to claim dual citizenship.
