Australia dual citizenship saga: Politicians to learn fate
Australia's deputy prime minister and six other politicians will soon learn if they were wrongly elected because they held dual citizenship.
The High Court of Australia is due to hand down the verdict at 14:15 local time (03:15 GMT) on Friday.
The decision will clarify the definition of rules prohibiting dual citizens from standing for office.
If Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce is ruled ineligible, it could threaten the government's one-seat majority.
In that event, Mr Joyce, who renounced New Zealand citizenship in August, has pledged to re-contest his lower house seat in a probable by-election.
- Who are Australia's dual citizen MPs?
- Is citizenship row risk to Australian PM?
- How the saga befell an immigrant nation
The other six politicians – Fiona Nash, Matt Canavan, Malcolm Roberts, Nick Xenophon, Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam – were elected to the Senate.
Ms Waters and Mr Ludlam have already resigned over the saga, while Mr Xenophon has said he will quit regardless of the verdict to pursue other ambitions.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull would face a tougher task of passing legislation if he lost his 76-seat majority in the 150-member House of Representatives.
The dual citizenship saga has dominated Australian politics since July, prompting dozens of MPs to publicly clarify their status.
| Dual citizen MPs | Second citizenship |
|---|---|
| Barnaby Joyce, government | New Zealand |
| Fiona Nash, government | UK |
| Matt Canavan, government | Italy |
| Malcolm Roberts, One Nation | UK |
| Nick Xenophon, Nick Xenophon Team | UK |
| Larissa Waters, Greens | Canada |
| Scott Ludlam, Greens | New Zealand |
