PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has banned New England MP Barnaby Joyce from making a scheduled appearance on ABC's Q&A program tonight in the wake of the Zaky Mallah controversy.
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Mr Joyce was booked as a panellist on the national broadcaster's flagship discussion show following the release of his long-awaited $4 billion agriculture white paper on the weekend.
However, Mr Abbott, who has said "heads should roll" at the ABC over the editorial decision to allow convicted criminal Mr Mallah to ask a question from the audience last month, ordered a boycott by all Coalition frontbenchers.
"The Prime Minister has communicated that he does not want any frontbencher to appear on Q&A," a spokesman for Mr Joyce said.
"Barnaby was told this (last night) and apologised to Q&A that he would not be able to appear."
Mr Joyce, who has also been highly critical of Mr Mallah's involvement in the June 22 show, nevertheless said yesterday he thought the ABC was "dealing properly now with the issue".