Kiwoz: New Zealanders in Australia politics

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Pumpedd

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#1847675 16-Aug-2017 16:49

amiga500:

Great big own goal by Chris Hipkins. He could have found out the answer to the question by phoning around the relevant government departments. What on earth was he thinking? The average swinging voter in NZ probably does not give a rats ass about dual citizenship of an Aussie politician. If he thought this stunt would advance Labour's electoral chances he must be on some really really good stuff...

Add this to the long list of own goals by Labour such as appointing David Shearer & Andrew Little as leaders.

He must think Aussie Labour will be in power soon just like NZ and it will be a good bro mance.......

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Geektastic

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#1847721 16-Aug-2017 18:22

I'm struggling to see what this has to do with any politicians in New Zealand?

Varkk

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#1847913 17-Aug-2017 09:01

Geektastic: I'm struggling to see what this has to do with any politicians in New Zealand?

Not much, it is mostly the Aussie foreign minister trying to deflect away from her own party's screw up. Interestingly the Australian media aren't buying it, it is only our media trying to make it about something local. It seems Chris Hipkins was talking to an associate in the Australian Labour party, the topic of NZ citizenship for descendants of NZ citizens came up. He made a formal approach to the NZ ministry seeking clarification on an obscure piece of our law. Then a bit later the Australian media approached them about the Australian deputy PM. It should also be noted that his party had used the same set of rules to eliminate political rivals in much lower offices but now it has bitten one of their own they are crying foul.

Geektastic

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#1848205 17-Aug-2017 19:44

Varkk:
Geektastic: I'm struggling to see what this has to do with any politicians in New Zealand?

Not much, it is mostly the Aussie foreign minister trying to deflect away from her own party's screw up. Interestingly the Australian media aren't buying it, it is only our media trying to make it about something local. It seems Chris Hipkins was talking to an associate in the Australian Labour party, the topic of NZ citizenship for descendants of NZ citizens came up. He made a formal approach to the NZ ministry seeking clarification on an obscure piece of our law. Then a bit later the Australian media approached them about the Australian deputy PM. It should also be noted that his party had used the same set of rules to eliminate political rivals in much lower offices but now it has bitten one of their own they are crying foul.

Ah so just some doofus poking their nose in to stir. Good to see taxes paying the salaries of these helpful people.

Fred99

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#1848327 18-Aug-2017 08:44

To clarify why the huge fuss and deflection, Joyce had been hoist by his own petard, That's always newsworthy - the late John Clarke would have revelled in what happened - the L/NP clearly has no sense of humour.

Barnaby Joyce had been interviewed on ABC radio about (opposition/Green) MPs with dual citizenship a few days before his own dual citizenship was outed:

JOYCE: I don't think for either Scott Ludlam or Larissa Waters there was anything malicious about it. I think merely an oversight, but unfortunately that's the law. It's like if you're driving on the road without a licence and you get pulled over. Well, you're in a spot of bother. They were members of parliament. It's quite clear under Section 44, you can't be a member of parliament and have dual citizenship. It's black and white. The outcome is black and white. That's just, that's just the way it is.

KARVELAS (ABC): Does the law set the bar too high? Is it time to have a look at Section 44 of the Constitution?

JOYCE: Nah, I don't think it is. I think you just have got to do your homework and make sure you're not a citizen of two countries when you stand for parliament. That's basically it. Larissa said she believed that was not the case and I am sure that would be the outcome for Scott Ludlam. But unfortunately ignorance is not an excuse, you're in strife and as I said, there's nothing malicious about it, being sneaky, but they were outside what Section 44 explicitly says. The reason it says that, is that you can only have one master, Australia. If you're going to serve in the Australian parliament, Australia is your master.

jonathan18

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#1848335 18-Aug-2017 08:56

Fred99:

To clarify why the huge fuss and deflection, Joyce had been hoist by his own petard, That's always newsworthy - the late John Clarke would have revelled in what happened - the LNP clearly has no sense of humour.

Barnaby Joyce had been interviewed on ABC radio about (opposition/Green) MPs with dual citizenship a few days before his own dual citizenship was outed:

JOYCE: I don't think for either Scott Ludlam or Larissa Waters there was anything malicious about it. I think merely an oversight, but unfortunately that's the law. It's like if you're driving on the road without a licence and you get pulled over. Well, you're in a spot of bother. They were members of parliament. It's quite clear under Section 44, you can't be a member of parliament and have dual citizenship. It's black and white. The outcome is black and white. That's just, that's just the way it is.

KARVELAS (ABC): Does the law set the bar too high? Is it time to have a look at Section 44 of the Constitution?

JOYCE: Nah, I don't think it is. I think you just have got to do your homework and make sure you're not a citizen of two countries when you stand for parliament. That's basically it. Larissa said she believed that was not the case and I am sure that would be the outcome for Scott Ludlam. But unfortunately ignorance is not an excuse, you're in strife and as I said, there's nothing malicious about it, being sneaky, but they were outside what Section 44 explicitly says. The reason it says that, is that you can only have one master, Australia. If you're going to serve in the Australian parliament, Australia is your master.

That's brilliant! I'd been interested to see what Joyce had said on the matter in relation to others in this position - where the impact wasn't quite so personal and it provided an opportunity to put the boot in to the opposition.

The bit I didn't get was the Aus Attorney General being reported as saying it should be fine for Joyce to remain as he wasn't aware of his dual citizenship - I wasn't aware there was a particular clause that provided for this 'out'! And, given Joyce's own comments re ignorance being no excuse he better listen to his own advice.

NZ politics can be foul and murky at times, but luckily it doesn't usually plumb the depths of that across the ditch.

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