Ray Martin co-hosted Sunrise on Tuesday and discussed the Q&A review. Martin appeared to suggest the government's heated attacks on the ABC for allowing former terror suspect and convicted criminal Zaky Mallah onto the program were driven by political motives. "[I]t's clearly a political issue at the moment in terms of terror," he said. "I think we've already started looking towards the next election." Deputy Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce withdrew from an appearance on last night's episode of Q&A after Mr Abbott instructed him not to appear. Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull is considering whether to maintain a scheduled appearance next week, a decision bringing him under intense pressure within the Coalition. Martin was asked about the boycott while co-hosting Channel Seven's Sunrise program on Tuesday.

"I can't believe it," Martin said. "It's so silly to do it. I would have thought Barnaby Joyce should have said, 'I'm not a member of the Liberal Party, I'm a member of the National Party, I can do what I like' and go and do it." The program has up to one million viewers a week and provides a good forum for politicians to sell their message, Martin said. "I can't imagine Australia without the ABC so I've got a lot of time [for it] but that doesn't mean that it can't be better," he said. I suspect he would still like the top job, I suspect he won't come

The TV veteran is conducting an audit of the past 22 Q&A programs with former SBS managing director Shaun Brown. Following Martin's comments, an ABC spokesman said he was chosen to conduct the audit because "he is independent and the public perceive him to be". "That doesn't mean he can't express an opinion," the spokesman said. "He made it clear that his final view will be shaped by an orderly audit of previous programs. His comments related more to the boycott than to the program itself and everyone has an opinion on that." Mr Abbott declined to comment on Tuesday when asked if he would allow Mr Turnbull to appear on next week's episode. "What I'm not going to do is give further advertisement to a program which was frankly right over the top," Mr Abbott told reporters.

"What we saw a couple of weeks back on Q&A was simply unacceptable and indefensible. It was unacceptable, it was indefensible and Malcolm, quite properly, has been engaged in ongoing discussions with the ABC about exactly what they're going to do to ensure that something like this never happens again. Now, there is an internal ABC process under way at the moment. It was not appropriate for a minister to go on there on Monday night and I want that process to be concluded as quickly as possible." Mr Joyce said on Monday that the Prime Minister does not want cabinet ministers to participate in the program until the ABC's editorial audit of the program is complete. Martin and Mr Brown's audit is expected to take eight to 12 weeks to complete, meaning the program could be without a government minister for three months if the boycott holds. Martin said he expects Mr Turnbull will withdraw from the program next week to keep alive his prospects of again becoming Liberal leader. "I suspect he would still like the top job, I suspect he won't come," Martin said.

Martin said "everyone's agreed it was a mistake" to have Mallah, who pleaded guilty to threatening to kill ASIO officers, ask a question live on air a fortnight ago. "They had [David] Hicks on pre-recorded," he said. "It was a mistake to have [Mr Mallah] there." Martin said he would also like to review the program under the previous Labor government. "I suspect Tony Jones was just as tough on the Labor government as he is on the Coalition right now," he said. Martin, a former Gold Logie winner, has worked on 60 Minutes, Four Corners, Midday and This Day Tonight during his 50 years in broadcasting. He began his career as an ABC cadet and has appeared on Q&A as a panellist.

The editorial audit will examine how Q&A's topics and panellists are chosen. It will also examine the way audiences are selected and the use of tweets from the public live on air. Follow us on Twitter