Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has received the second-most nominations for 2018 New Zealander of the Year, trailing behind New Zealand’s former Greens Co-Leader Metiria Turei.
Of course, it was revealed earlier in the month that Mr Joyce was a dual citizen of Australia and New Zealand based on the fact that anyone born to a Kiwi father between 1949 and 1978 is also considered to be a citizen through descent.
Mr Joyce, who was born in 1967, has since renounced his New Zealand citizenship.
So, does he still have a shot at taking out the prize?
New Zealand of the Year award manager Glyn Taylor said the politician’s eligibility for the award will be assessed after nominations close on September 18.
“At the conclusion of the nominations period, the awards office will assess Mr Joyce’s eligibility based on his citizenship and other criteria,” he said.
“It’s also not unusual for people of the moment to attract significant support during the public nominations period.”
The award, which will be announced at the New Zealander of the Year Awards Gala in Auckland on 21 February 2018, is described as honouring “people for their contribution to the wellbeing of New Zealand.”
You can’t make this stuff up.
WATCH: Barnaby Joyce surprises Parliament with the announcement. Post continues…
Mr Joyce revealed he was a dual Australia-New Zealand citizen by descent in a bombshell speech to parliament.
“I’ve always been an Australian citizen, born in Tamworth, just as my mother and my great-grandmother were born there 100 years earlier,” he told the House of Representatives.
“Neither I, nor my parents, have ever had any reason to believe that I may be a citizen of any other country.”
Prior suggestions that Mr Joyce held dual citizenship had been quickly dismissed as “laughable” by the politician.
This is the latest in a surprisingly high amount of MPs to be caught out in a section of the constitution many of the public didn’t even know existed.
Of the four, possibly five, MPs recently found to hold dual citizenship, only the two Greens senators completely resigned.
When Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam were caught out by section 44 of the constitution, Malcolm Turnbull criticised them of “incredible sloppiness.”
