"The Prime Minister has communicated that he does not want any frontbencher to appear on Q&A," the spokesman said. "Barnaby was told this tonight and apologised to Q&A that he would not be able to appear." Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "Barnaby was told this tonight and apologised to Q&A that he would not be able to appear." Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull - who has said he opposes a boycott of the program - is scheduled to appear on next week's episode of Q&A. The Prime Minister's stance leaves Mr Turnbull with a difficult decision: to defy his leader or to act contrary to his previously-stated position. Mr Abbott's parliamentary secretary Alan Tudge withdrew from last week's episode of Q&A, saying it was inappropriate for him to appear while a government inquiry into Mr Mallah's appearance was underway. The Department of Communications inquiry has been finalised and a summary of its investigation was released on Friday.

Fairfax Media understands the ABC will not seek to replace Mr Joyce with another government frontbencher. Host Tony Jones is expected to address the issue on air on Monday night. Earlier on Sunday, Mr Joyce said he expected his appearance on Q&A to be "interesting". While it was an "absurdity" to have Mr Mallah on the program, he said: "I think the ABC is dealing properly now with the issue." Mr Joyce would have used the appearance to sell the benefits of the government's long-awaited agriculture white paper. Mr Abbott said "heads should roll" at the ABC for the decision to allow Mr Mallah to ask a question live on air and the subsequent rebroadcast of the program.

Barnaby was told this tonight and apologised to Q&A that he would not be able to appear Mr Abbott described Q&A as a "leftie lynch mob" and said: "I think the ABC does have to have a long, hard look at itself and to answer a question which I have posed before — whose side are you on?" In the days following Mr Mallah's appearance on Q&A, Mr Turnbull said he would continue to appear on the program even though it had made an error of judgment. "Most of the leading figures in this building have been on the show plenty of times and from my point of view I think we are in the business of getting the message of the government across," he said. "And so we need to take advantage of every platform that's available. So I'll continue to appear on ABC programs, including Q&A, if I'm invited to be there."