Newspoll has delivered a sweeping new setback to Malcolm Turnbull, with a big cut in his ‘better prime minister’ rating and Labor increasing its two-party lead to a massive 55-45%.
Malcolm Turnbull has told Rebekha Sharkie, the Nick Xenophon Team’s sole member in the House of Representatives, that her eligibility may have to be determined by the High Court.
Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten are inching toward an agreement on the form of a citizenship declaration that each MP would have to make within weeks.
The Turnbull government is trying to limit the damage from the citizenship crisis with a plan to have all MPs make declarations about their circumstances.
Labor has been on a unity ticket with the Coalition in opposing an audit, but as the crisis continues to unfold it has moved to a position that falls short of bringing in an outside auditor.
The sudden exit from parliament of Senate President Stephen Parry has turned into a toxic blame game, in a further sign of a government crumbling into chaos.
Laws passed by MPs while under a citizenship cloud are unlikely to be contested; decisions made by ministers after doubts about their dual citizenship was announced are more complicated matters.
A northern New South Wales bookmaker has got it about right on the New England byelection. “Barnaby will be a shorter price than Winx,” he told a National. “And the only one who could beat Barnaby is Winx…