Australian opposition dismisses claims it conspired with New Zealand to undermine government
Deputy prime minister renounced his New Zealand citizenship on Tuesday and has insisted he will stay on until the High Court determines his fate
Australia’s opposition Labor Party on Wednesday rejected extraordinary claims from the country’s top diplomat it conspired with New Zealand leftists to try to topple the government.
Labor’s Penny Wong accused Foreign Minister Julie Bishop of “a Kiwis under-the-bed scare campaign” to divert attention from government woes, invoking anti-communist “Reds under the beds” fears of the cold war.
“This sort of behaviour, I don’t think is particularly good for democracy,” Wong told reporters.
The international row stems from Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce’s revelation this week that he was a New Zealand citizen, meaning he may be forced to step down under rules barring dual nationals from sitting in Australia’s parliament.
This sort of behaviour, I don’t think is particularly good for democracy
That would be a disaster for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s conservative government, which holds a one-seat majority.