NEXT STEPS FOR BARNABY JOYCE
* High Court will determine whether Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce is eligible to sit in parliament.
* If found ineligible, his NSW seat of New England will be declared vacant.
* A writ would be issued for a by-election.
* Joyce would be able to contest the by-election once he receives the paperwork to extinguish his connection with New Zealand.
* A by-election would be held about eight weeks after the writ is issued.
* If Joyce wins the by-election, the government will retain its 76 seats (a one seat majority) in the lower house.
* If he loses, the government will only have 75 seats in the lower house which is one short of a majority. It will have to negotiate with one of the five crossbenchers to ensure supply and confidence and inform the governor-general once it has the numbers.
* If he is cleared by the High Court, Joyce can continue to sit in parliament.
