16th Aug 2017, 3:08 PM – Representatives Motions - Qualifications of Members - Let a vote happen

The majority voted against a motion to let a vote on Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce's New Zealand citizenship happen.

Motion text

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Watson from moving the following motion forthwith—

That the House:

(1) notes:

(a) on Monday, this House unanimously asked the High Court to determine whether the Deputy Prime Minister is constitutionally qualified to be a Member of Parliament;

(b) on Tuesday, the Deputy Prime Minister admitted he had been a citizen of a foreign power right up until the weekend;

(c) former Minister Matt Canavan has resigned from Cabinet and will not vote in the Senate until the High Court resolves doubts about his constitutional qualifications to be a Member of Parliament;

(d) yesterday, the Foreign Minister refused to accept that the conservative New Zealand Internal Affairs Minister was telling the truth; and

(e) this morning, on Sky News, the Foreign Minister refused to answer whether she could now work with a future New Zealand Government; and

(2) therefore, calls on the Prime Minister to:

(a) stop trashing Australia's international relations in order to distract from the crisis the Government is facing;

(b) rule out accepting the vote of the Deputy Prime Minister while his constitutional qualifications are in doubt; and

(c) direct the Deputy Prime Minister to immediately resign from Cabinet.