Politics live: Barnaby Joyce revealed to be New Zealand citizen

Time for me to call it a day. What happened?

• Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce is a citizen of New Zealand;
• Mr Joyce has referred himself to the High Court to determine whether or not he was eligible to run for Parliament;
• the government says it is confident the High Court will find in Mr Joyce's favour;
• Mr Joyce will not resign from his leadership or portfolio responsibilities while the matter is being heard;
• the opposition is calling for him to resign and says the Turnbull government lacks legitimacy.

My thanks to Alex Ellinghausen and Andrew Meares for their work and to you for reading and commenting (what a day).

You can follow me on Facebook.

Andrew, Alex and I will be back in the morning. Until then, good night.

The government's citizenship changes have passed the House of Representatives.

Next stop - the Senate.

David Pope's cartoon for The Canberra Times.

In a nice touch the House of Representatives is about to vote on the government's changes to citizenship.

Not the ones that have anything to do with MPs but the ones that are to do with people wanting to become Australian citizens.

Former independent MP Tony Windsor, who challenged Mr Joyce for his seat of New England at the 2016 election, wouldn't rule out another attempt if a by-election was triggered.

"It's not front of mind but you never rule anything out in life," Mr Windsor, a long-time foe of the Nationals leader, told Fairfax Media.

"If he's ruled out, it's a whole new ball game."
 

Obviously, this has become a very high stakes business for the government.

The Coalition must be loving Labor throwing the 'illegitimate' play book back at it - having been the party that ruthlessly used the tactic during Julia Gillard's time as prime minister.

The Coalition has a one seat majority. Were Mr Joyce to be found ineligible a by-election would be needed and although it's likely the seat would be held by the National Party nothing is certain in this crazy, mixed-up world.

"This is a critical part of our nomination process. A candidate will not be nominated by the ALP without being cleared through this process," Mr Carroll said.

"We are confident every member of the Labor caucus has been properly elected."

The Labor Party isn't worried by the government's threats to investigate the citizenship status of some of its MPs.

Noah Carroll, national secretary of the Australian Labor Party, said the party "has an extensive and exhaustive process for ensuring that every candidate satisfies all constitutional requirements before they are nominated".

"One part of this process is that candidates are required to declare the citizenship status of their parents and grandparents. Where there are any issues with respect to dual citizenship - potential or otherwise - candidates are required to take all reasonable steps to renounce and satisfy the requirements of Section 44," Mr Carroll said in a statement.

There's never a bad time for a dad joke.

The picture is from March but still, the Deputy Prime Minister's socks do need another look.

Senator Brandis is asked if he believes other MPs should have their citizenship examined.

"There are certain names that have been thrown around," Senator Brandis says.

"The point I'd make to you is the government has been completely transparent about this. We have been ahead of the issue."

Sentor Brandis says Senator Canavan chose to step aside.

"There was certainly no compulsion for him to stand down. It would have been perfeclty proper for him not to stand down," Senator Brandis says.

"He thought it was more prudent for him to do so."

"Based on that advice we are confident of his position," Senator Brandis tells Sky News.

There are difference between Mr Joyce's case and Senator Canavan's case, he says, not the least of which are the differences between New Zealand and Italian law.

The government believes neither man is ineligible.

Attorney-General George Brandis says the government's legal advice is there needs to be "conscious adherence" to a foreign state.

The government seems to be relying on the fact Mr Joyce was not unaware of his citizenship status.

Mr Joyce is "taking urgent steps to renounce that citizenship".

The motion is unsuccessful and that's it for question time.

Mr Pyne is throwing around the names of Labor MPs the government believes could have fallen foul of the dual citizenship rules including Tony Zappia, Justine Keay and Susan Lamb.

He starts to suggest the government will demand proof of citizenship from those MPs.

"This government is the adult in the room," Leader of the House Christopher Pyne says in reply.

"The Australian public is sick of it. That's why they continue to support this Prime Minister over the Leader of the Opposition."

Labor frontbencher Tony Burke asks Mr Turnbull how the government can stay in office when it is "based on a secret deal and [is] clinging on to office based on secret deal".

He moves to suspend standing orders.

"This is a government without legitimacy," Mr Burke says.

"We've never had a government before, ever since Federation, that has had to go to the High Court because they just weren't sure if they had a majority."

Labor frontbencher Joel Fitzgibbon wants to know how the government's legal advice on Matt Canavan differs from its advice on Barnaby Joyce.

He would also like Mr Turnbull to table the legal advice.

"The government does not provide the legal advice it has received," Mr Turnbull says, and refers Mr Fitzgibbon to his earlier comments.

Mr Shorten asks Mr Turnbull about Mr English's comments and wants to know how it is possible for Mr Joyce to continue in the House of Representatives.

Mr Turnbull simply refers Mr Shorten to his earlier comments.