Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce unleashes on Malcolm Turnbull

Malcolm Turnbull’s former deputy, Barnaby Joyce, has issued the ousted PM some stern advice and accused him of having a selective memory.

Barnaby Joyce has slammed Malcolm Turnbull as “sooky” after the former prime minister claimed a ferocious media campaign led to his ousting.

The take-down comes after Mr Turnbull on Monday fronted a Senate inquiry into media diversity.

There, he aired his grievances about News Corp – the publisher of this article – saying the media company contributed to his dumping.

“A ferocious campaign was launched by the Murdoch media … and the government crumbled, they could not take the heat,” Mr Turnbull told the committee.

But Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, who served as deputy prime minister in the Turnbull government, accused Mr Turnbull of having a selective view of history.

“Malcolm was not removed by a paper, he was removed by his colleagues,” Mr Joyce told 2GB on Tuesday.

“This is just sooking. It’s sooky, sooky, sooky, la la land. The people make decisions.”

Barnaby Joyce served as deputy prime minister under the Turnbull government. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Mr Joyce and Mr Turnbull’s relationship turned sour in early 2018 amid revelations he had an affair and was expecting a baby with his former staffer.

“A lot of his colleagues might talk about Malcolm’s bullying,” Mr Joyce said.

“When he went out and gave a speech about Barnaby Joyce, the woe to all women, on public radio and at a press conference.

“I mean, what do you call that, looking out for one of your colleagues?”

Mr Turnbull gives evidence at the media diversity inquiry. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

Mr Turnbull has also accused News Corp of being a threat to Australia’s democracy.

But Mr Joyce said that was a “load of rubbish” and encouraged Mr Turnbull to go on a holiday.

“Malcolm used to talk about ‘miserable ghosts’ … which are people who hung around the political field when they should have just taken a quiet time,” Mr Joyce said.

“Malcolm has been a continual commentator.

“Politics is like heroin, the only way to get off it is to get away from it, and that would be my kind suggestion to Malcolm.”