In a bid to set the record straight about who knew what about Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce's Kiwi citizenship, the New Zealand Government has released an official timeline of questions it received about the issue.
It confirms Aussie reporters asked questions on the matter nearly two weeks before a member of the Labour Party inquired.
Australian politics was thrown into disarray this week after it was confirmed Joyce was a New Zealand citizen by descent, possibly disqualifying him under a rule that prohibits dual citizens from standing as MPs.
When Joyce announced the news in Parliament, he blamed the Labour Party for having caused the stir by asking about it.
It led to revelations Labour's Chris Hipkins had put in general questions to Internal Affairs about citizenship after talking to a friend in Australia's Labor Party and prompted Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to controversially lash out at Labour.
