Independent senator Jacqui Lambie tells TODAY she would appear on Q and A if she was Malcolm Turnbull. Courtesy: TODAY/Nine Network

Jacqui Lambie suggests Malcolm Turnbull should appear on Q and A

JACQUI Lambie has criticised the Coalition’s decision to boycott Q&A, and gave Malcolm Turnbull advice after he was the latest minister to pull out of the show.

The Independent Senator told The Today Show that if she was Mr Tunbull, she would be appearing on the ABC program when he was scheduled to appear on Monday next week.

“You know you can go against your leader,” she said.

“I mean that’s Malcolm Turnbull’s call ultimately, but if I was him I would be going to — I would be going on Q&A that’s what I would be doing. I think what a distraction. This is absolutely ridiculous we have massive political issues on the table and they’re out there talking about whether or not they’re going to appear on Q&A. Like I said you are on over $200,000 a year get it together.”

Mr Turnbull confirmed yesterday he will not be appearing on next week’s Q&A episode in the wake of the Zaky Mallah fiasco.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said ministers will start going back onto Q&A once the broadcaster’s news and current affairs division takes responsibility for it.

Mr Abbott wrote to ABC board chairman James Spigelman today in response to a letter he received from the chairman on Thursday.

In the letter, the prime minister wrote that Mr Turnbull had been “given to expect that Q&Awould be moved to news and current affairs, which would be appropriate for such a program”.

Mr Abbott wrote that the chairman had indicated the shift of responsibility from the ABC’s television division to news and current affairs “has merit”.

“Front benchers look forward to resuming their participation in Q&A once this move takes place,” Mr Abbott wrote.

“I hope this can happen as soon as possible.”

An ABC spokeswoman said the board would consider the issue at its scheduled meeting on August 6.

An independent review of the program is under way, led by former broadcaster Ray Martin and former SBS managing director Shaun Brown.