Snap election likely as Joyce and his mates disqualified from parliament

Friday 27 October 2017

The Turnbull government has been plunged into turmoil and will head to a snap by-election after the High Court ruled Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and four other MPs caught in the dual citizenship saga were disqualified from federal parliament.

The ejection of the Nationals leader means the government will lose its one-seat majority in the House of Representatives and likely embolden Labor, which has threatened to cause chaos and confusion if Mr Joyce’s election is deemed invalid.

Independent senator Nick Xenophon and former Nationals cabinet minister Matthew Canavan have been found eligible to sit in parliament.

Nationals deputy leader Fiona Nash, One Nation’s Malcom Roberts and former Greens senators Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam have also been disqualified.

Pass the popcorn.

About the author

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.