The Sauce: Barnaby Joyce was in a bad mood during election coverage

He seemed grumpy during Seven’s live coverage of the state election results and The Sauce understands Barnaby Joyce didn’t hold back behind the scenes either. And it got worst when he was punted off from the main table to a smaller one.

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He seemed grumpy during Seven’s live coverage of the state election results and the Sauce understands Barnaby Joyce didn’t hold back behind the scenes either.

The Nationals MP apparently was already in a bad mood when he arrived at the studio and quickly took it out on Labor Senator Jenny McAllister in a snappy exchange over water policy.

Barnaby Joyce looked annoyed during the election coverage. But it only got worse as he was upset with the lack of airtime. Picture: Damian Shaw

The 51-year-old was then upset about the lack of airtime he was getting compared with other panellists. During the broadcast, Mr Joyce was also moved from the main table to the smaller secondary table, which didn’t impress.

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In the end, Mr Joyce appeared on-screen for about 2½ hours — more than enough, Sauce is sure, for many viewers.

PAULINE’S EMIR SLIP-UP

One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson, who slammed Qatar after being stung by an Al-Jazeera investigation, has been caught autographing and posing with a T-shirt featuring the country’s King.

Last year the Senator knelt on the floor of her parliamentary office to sign her name on the shirt emblazoned with Qatari Emir, sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

She is also photographed with a 2022 FIFA World Cup ball and posing with Australian-born businessman Michael Ibrahim, who has strong ties to the Qatar royal family. Al-Jazeera is owned by the Qatari government.

“Qatar is a government that enforces sharia law, public floggings, genital mutilation and suppression of women,” Senator Hanson said.

Pauline Hanson and Michael Ibrahim with the Qatar T-shirt.

Pauline Hanson signs T-shirts with the face of the Emir of Qatar.

“How much money has the ABC paid, using taxpayer dollars, to organisations affiliated with the Qatari, Islamist government?”

Mr Ibrahim said Senator Hanson’s comments were “distressing, heartbreaking and disrespectful. “I just can’t believe what she said, I am astounded,” he said.

The Sydney businessman said he had met with Senator Hanson on several occasions to discuss trade.

“I invited her to Qatar and she said she’d like to go,” he said.

“The things she said are false, the Qatari people are not going to accept being spoken about in that manner.”

KOALA CUDDLE BAN

Shock: not everyone loves koalas. To promote Labor’s policy
of handing out $10,000 grants to wildlife carers, environment spokeswoman (and now acting leader) Penny Sharpe organised for a koala and wombat to be brought to Parliament House during the campaign for an outdoor photo shoot.

Penny Sharpe organised for a wombat and koala to be brought into Parliament House for the state election campaign. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

But it seems not everyone was happy the Aussie animals were brought in. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Sharpe was shocked to receive a formal rebuke from parliamentary services.

“Just a gentle reminder, animals are not permitted within the Parliamentary precincts,” the letter said. Seems a bit curmudgeonly.

NEW BLOOD

NSW Labor is looking for new talent and among the more interesting names being touted include former Bennelong candidate Jason Yat-Sen Li.

Li, a Chinese-Australian lawyer mentored by Malcolm Turnbull, was drafted into Bennelong by Kevin Rudd in an unsuccessful bid to topple Liberal MP John Alexander. As well as being a cheerleader for the republican movement, Li is also known for taking on Pauline Hanson in the late 1990s.

Jason Yat-Sen Li’s name has been brought up to possibly lead the Labor Party.

Sam Dastyari’s name is also being whispered — but the former Senator said: “NSW politics already has one failed federal Labor politician — Mark Latham — surely that’s enough,” he said.

TURNBULL JR’S BACK

Hooray. Everyone’s favourite ex-First Son, Alex Turnbull, is back in the column. We’ve missed writing about the permanently outraged son of Malcolm.

Now he’s denying he called on Senator Derryn Hinch to investigate Nationals MP George Christensen’s frequent travel to the Philippines.

Senator Hinch said one of his staff members received a text from Turnbull Jr, urging the crossbencher to ask parliament why the AFP was investigating Mr Christensen’s extensive travel to southeast Asia.

Senator Hinch said he refused to speak to Mr Turnbull because he didn’t want to treat parliament as a “gossip column”. Mr Turnbull

denied he contacted Senator Hinch’s office and said: “Your claims are false.”

He suggested the text must have been from someone impersonating him.

The AFP did not proceed with a formal investigation as there was no evidence to suggest Mr Christensen had committed a crime.

EX-MP KICKS OFF NZ GIG

Weeks after her appointment was announced by the Federal Government, Patricia Forsythe appears to have quickly settled into her new role as Australia’s High Commissioner to New Zealand.

The former Sydney Business Chamber executive director and NSW Liberal MP has already met with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with the leader welcoming Ms Forsythe days after the Christchurch mosque massacre.

Australia’s new High Commissioner to New Zealand Patricia Forsythe, pictured with Jacinda Ardern, has settled into the new position. Picture: Facebook

A photograph of the pair was posted on Facebook while Ms Forsythe also fronted a video message in which she said: “I’ve arrived this week in what can only be described as the most sombre of times for New Zealand and that has been at the heart of the meetings that I’ve had with the Prime Minister and the Governor-General.”

Ms Forsythe was appointed to the plum diplomatic post by friend and political ally, Foreign Minister Marise Payne.

JOY AMID THE HORROR

There is no perfect time for having a baby, they say. Nor giving birth.

In the case of Labor leader Bill Shorten’s chief-of-staff Ryan Liddell, daughter Ivy decided to make her debut on Friday, March 15 — the same day as the New Zealand attacks.

Liddell described the experience as “surreal”.

“Went into theatre and came out to all the news,” he said.

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