Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has been in stuck in Armidale after he returned home for the weekend then the region went into lockdown.
At the end of question time today, Labor leader Anthony Albanese wanted to know why Mr Joyce wasn’t joining in the fun via video link. After all, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has zoomed in to a number of questions times now, during two previous stints in quarantine at the Lodge.
Barnaby Joyce, absent from the question time livestream.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
“I know that the deputy prime minister isn’t able to attend question time in person because of the issue of COVID in the New England region but I do note how many of my team, including my deputy, are here [virtually] every question time, participating in the Parliament,” Mr Albanese said.
“Is it appropriate just as the prime minister took questions virtually and was available, that the deputy prime minister should be available during question time for members of parliament on both sides and on the crossbenches to hold him to account and ask questions?
“I note that he hasn’t turned up but he’s on the payroll and it is expected as a minimum that ministers will be here.”
Speaker Tony Smith replied that ministerial arrangements were a matter for the government not him and while all MPs had the option of participating remotely, it wasn’t compulsory.