{"id":51892,"date":"2017-11-11T06:46:58","date_gmt":"2017-11-11T06:46:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=51892"},"modified":"2017-11-11T06:46:58","modified_gmt":"2017-11-11T06:46:58","slug":"australian-mp-resigns-dual-nationality-new-blow-government","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/world-news\/australian-mp-resigns-dual-nationality-new-blow-government.html","title":{"rendered":"Australian MP resigns over dual nationality in new blow for government"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australian MP resigns over dual nationality in new blow for government<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Australian MP resigns over dual nationality in new blow for government:- Australia\u2019s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he would not call a general election after a citizenship crisis claimed another member of parliament on Saturday, leaving his government clinging to power with the support of two independents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Australia\u2019s constitution bars dual nationals from parliament, and Turnbull\u2019s centre-right coalition government was thrown into disarray last month by a High Court ruling that five of them were ineligible to be lawmakers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Earlier on Saturday, Conservative Liberal party MP John Alexander told reporters in Sydney he was no longer certain that he was solely Australian, and that meant he had to resign.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turnbull will deal with issues such as a no-confidence motion when they arise, he told a televised news conference in Vietnam\u2019s central city of Danang, where he is attending a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have the support of the crossbench on matters of confidence and supply. There is no question of that happening,\u201d Turnbull added, ruling out the possibility of a no-confidence motion.<\/span><\/p>\n

His centre-right coalition government must rely on the two independents to vote with it to safeguard its position and block the passage of legislation it opposes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turnbull said he expected a Dec. 2 by-election would return Barnaby Joyce both to parliament and to his former position as deputy prime minister, thus bolstering the government.<\/span><\/p>\n

He ruled out an early return to Australia following Alexander\u2019s resignation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is my obligation that I must resign,\u201d Alexander told a news conference. \u201cThat\u2019s what I will do. I think there is a great need for certainty, to clarify the situation and to do so as expeditiously as possible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Alexander had been waiting for Britain\u2019s Home Office to clarify whether he held British citizenship by descent. It is not known whether they responded.<\/span><\/p>\n

He would have to confirm sole Australian citizenship before fighting a by-election to regain his seat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alexander said he planned to contest the by-election which The Sydney Morning Herald said must be announced no later than Monday, to allow the minimum 33-day campaign required to hold the poll on December 16.<\/span><\/p>\n

Only the two independents now guarantee Turnbull\u2019s position after the High Court ruling expelled three members of the Liberal-National coalition government from parliament, with a fourth resigning days later, after confirming his dual nationality.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-australia-politics\/australian-mp-resigns-over-dual-nationality-in-new-blow-for-government-idUSKBN1DB02R<\/span><\/p>\n

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