Australian court rules deputy PM ineligible for Parliament, government loses majority
CANBERRA: Australia's high court ruled on Friday that Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce is ineligible to remain in parliament, a stunning decision that cost the government its one-seat parliamentary majority and forced a by-election.
The Australian dollar fell a quarter of a US cent after the unexpected decision. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he accepted the court's ruling, even though it was "clearly not the outcome we were hoping for".
Turnbull did not name a new deputy leader during a short news conference in Canberra soon after the court's ruling.
The Australian leader had been scheduled to travel to Israel on Saturday for a week-long visit but a spokesman for Turnbull told Reuters his departure has now been delayed. The spokesman said the new travel arrangements are still be finalised.
Turnbull's center-right coalition is now in a precarious position. His Liberal Party is the senior party in a coalition with the smaller National Party, which Joyce led.
He must now win the support of one of three independent lawmakers to keep his minority government afloat, with two sitting weeks of parliament left until it recesses for the year. At least two independent lawmakers have promised their support.