‘It doesn’t work like that’: Barnaby Joyce grilled over George Christensen’s anti-lockdown comments

Barnaby Joyce has been slammed after he rejected calls to pull an anti-lockdown MP into line for widely condemned comments.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has rejected suggestions he should pull Nationals MP George Christensen into line, saying he didn’t want to start “prodding the bear”.

Speaking to the ABC on Thursday, Mr Joyce said although he did not agree with Mr Christensen's controversial views, he would not “start giving reasons for a by-election”.

“I know how George’s mind works,” Mr Joyce said.

“If you start prodding the bear, you’re gonna (sic) make the situation worse.”

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese slammed Mr Joyce for his inaction, labelling his handling of the situation “a disgrace” on Twitter.

“This is Barnaby Joyce – Scott Morrison’s Deputy PM – admitting they won’t stop the spread of misinformation because it may hurt them politically,” Mr Albanese tweeted.

What a disgrace. This is Barnaby Joyce – Scott Morrison’s Deputy PM – admitting they won’t stop the spread of misinformation because it may hurt them politically. https://t.co/WUfjDzPTQ9

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) August 12, 2021

In parliament on Wednesday, Mr Christensen declared “masks don’t work and lockdowns don’t work” and labelled vaccine passports as a form of “discrimination”.

He was officially condemned by parliament after the Liberal and National parties backed a motion made by Mr Albanese.

A video of Mr Christensen’s speech was later removed by Facebook, which found it contained “harmful health information”.

Mr Joyce told the ABC that although he was leader of the Nationals Party, he did not have the power to make Mr Christensen change his behaviour.

“What people want me to do is order him … you can’t do that to another member of parliament,” he said.

“It doesn’t work like that.”

George Christensen has made anti-mask and lockdown comments in parliament over the past fortnight. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

When pressed that party members were regularly made to toe the party line on political issues, Mr Joyce disagreed with ABC host Lisa Millar.

“What you're saying is you want me to go in there and somehow tackle him,” he said.

Mr Joyce accused the ABC host of asking for an “implicit threat” to be made to Mr Christensen.

“(As if) I can charge into his room and somehow create a threat in such a way that he would act in a different form?” Mr Joyce said.

“There‘s no member of parliament that’s on the backbench that you can do that to.

“There’s nothing you can threaten them with.”

Mr Joyce then warned his Coalition colleagues about the consequences of upsetting a member of parliament.

“When you've got a thin margin, don’t start giving reasons for a by-election,” he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce says he doesn’t want to start ‘prodding the bear’ and tell George Christensen what to do.