Mr Tudge was invited on to the program a number of weeks ago before the latest row between the government and ABC, which culminated in a snap review into why Mallah was allowed to ask a question on the program. Alan Tudge being sworn in as parliamentary secretary to the prime minister in December. Credit:Andrew Meares Mr Abbott has said "heads should roll" at the ABC following the controversy. "As a parliamentary secretary to Tony Abbott, I don't think it is appropriate I attend while a formal government review of last week's program is in progress," Mr Tudge wrote in The Australian. The Department of Communications' review is due on Tuesday.

Mr Tudge said his boycott was not indefinite. Zaky Mallah in his controversial appearance on the ABC's Q&A program. In the opinion piece, he linked Mallah, who has been convicted of threatening to kill Commonwealth officials, to the Lindt café siege gunman, Man Haron Monis. "When you read the full details about Mallah, including his use of the media for attention-seeking, he sounds remarkably like Man Haron Monis, Sydney's Lindt cafe terrorist," he wrote. "When given the microphone on Q&A he used it to his advantage, providing a chilling justification for terrorists that came perilously close to incitement.

"This is exactly what extremists across the world seek: media attention to magnify their message." Mr Tudge was slated to appear on the program with author and News Corp columnist Nick Cater and the Australian Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson. Mr Wilson told Fairfax Media he had considered a boycott but decided against it. "Over the past week, I have vacillated as a private citizen about whether I go on because I am not happy with Q&A's conduct last week but as Human Rights Commissioner I feel an obligation to go on Q&A and explain what free speech actually means," Mr Wilson said. Mr Tudge is the second government representative to announce a boycott of Q&A. Defence Minister Kevin Andrews announced he would no longer appear on the show, but senior ABC producer Lindsay Olney said that, in Q&A's seven-year history, Mr Andrews had actually appeared on the program.

Speaking on Sky News on Sunday night, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Mallah's appearance could not be brushed off as an "error of judgment" and said there needed to be "serious consequences" as a result of the incident. "We are entitled to know … who made those calls and why, and then people can draw their own conclusions. It's up to the management and the board to make decisions about it but there certainly should be some consequences to this," he said. Mr Turnbull also questioned the performance of ABC managing director Mark Scott.

"As you know, I've said, much to the annoyance of some people at the ABC, I've said that I do not believe that Mark Scott should have the title of editor-in-chief because he clearly does not act as the editor-in-chief," Mr Turnbull told his former chief of staff and now Sky News host Chris Kenny. Mr Turnbull said the debate about government policies influencing potential jihadists was a legitimate one, but not one to be prosecuted by Mallah, who has advocated sexual violence against two prominent female conservative journalists. "Why on earth would you have this utterly discredited, convicted person, Mr Mallah, why would you have him to be making this point as opposed to someone with real credibility and repute?" Mr Turnbull asked. "I would have thought this guy is someone you would never contemplate having in a live audience." Follow Latika Bourke on Facebook