Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has never been accused of being dull television, but even by his standards, this week’s Sky News appearance delivered something rather unusual.
In what host Andrew Bolt described as an “extraordinary” turn of events, Joyce effectively changed his answer mid-evening after making a series of urgent phone calls during a live studio appearance.
The drama unfolded during a discussion about One Nation’s housing policy, which proposes preventing non-citizens from purchasing homes in Australia.
Joyce, who recently joined One Nation, was asked whether the policy would affect permanent residents who already owned homes. In his initial response, he appeared to suggest it could mean some migrants might ultimately be forced to sell their properties if they failed to become Australian citizens.
That answer immediately raised eyebrows.
After the interview concluded, however, Bolt revealed that Joyce remained in the studio, apparently concerned that things may not have been quite so straightforward.
According to Bolt, Joyce made two phone calls seeking clarification from One Nation officials. The result? Two different answers.
One adviser reportedly told him the policy would not affect permanent residents. Another reportedly suggested it would.
A short time later, Joyce returned to the studio and asked if he could record a new response.
To his credit, Bolt agreed – but decided viewers should see both versions.
“This policy is formative, but on further investigation and discussions with One Nation, no, we are not going to be kicking permanent residents out of their house,” Joyce said in the revised answer.
“We want people to progress through to Australian citizenship, but that should not come at the expense of permanent residents being divested of their house.”
Asked who the policy would apply to, Joyce said it was aimed at foreign citizens who were not permanent residents.
Bolt said the unusual sequence highlighted confusion surrounding the proposal.
“One Nation is literally making up policy as it goes along,” he told viewers.
He also suggested Joyce’s first answer reflected what he saw as the most extreme interpretation of Pauline Hanson’s original statement.
The awkward exchange didn’t end there. Later that evening, Nationals leader Matt Canavan appeared on Sharri Markson’s program and admitted watching the interview had been uncomfortable.
“Look, it’s a bit sad for me,” Canavan said. “I mean, I’m good mates with Barnaby, but that was pretty tough to watch.”
Canavan suggested Joyce may not have been entirely comfortable defending the policy in the first place.
“I think he knows that such a policy would be heartless and unnecessarily divisive in our community,” he said.
Political interviews regularly produce memorable moments, but it’s not every day viewers get to watch a politician fact-check his own answer, leave the studio, return, and then ask for a second attempt. As TV moments go, it was certainly one way to keep audiences watching until the credits rolled.
Images: Sky News
