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Tony Abbott orders Q&A ban

Barnaby Joyce cancels as PM bans frontbenchers from appearing on Q&A.

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Tony Abbott has banned all frontbenchers from appearing on Q & A following its controversial incident 2 weeks ago.

The decree means National Party’s Barnaby Joyce has cancelled his planned appearance tonight.

Fairfax reports his cancellation came just hours after he confirmed on Insiders he would front.

“The Prime Minister has communicated that he does not want any frontbencher to appear on Q&A,” a spokesman said on his behalf.

“Barnaby was told this tonight and apologised to Q & A that he would not be able to appear.”

Joyce becomes the second Coalition member to cancel an appearance following Parliamentary Secretary Alan Tudge withdrawing a week ago.

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who has said he opposes a boycott, is scheduled to appear on next week’s episode. It’s not clear if he will still appear.

Menzies Research Centre executive director Nick Cate and News Corp commentator Piers Akerman have also been recent cancellations.

44 Responses

  1. Polls are showing that most people are backing the ABC on this on, yes Q&A should have done more to prevent the events from happening but they also should have total independent editorial control without the government having any saw in what they air, I thought this was a free country still.

    I feel ashamed to have voted for them last election but with with a whole bunch of other things, like their record on climate change I won’t be voting for them again any time soon.

    1. Really? 4 June 2012 lineup.
      Simon Crean, Barnaby Joyce, Christine Milne, Georgie Somerset, Jeremy Marou
      Foreign investment
      Foreign workers
      Mining
      Same sex marriage
      Native title
      25 June 2012 Kate Lundy, George Brandis, Tim Freedman, John Lee, Louise Adler
      Media
      Asylum seekers
      China
      – not so much different 3 years later.

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