Barnaby Joyce was then made to answer whether or not he has been told to stay in his electorate this election campaign. The short answer is: yes.

Q: Have you been told to stay in your electorate?

JOYCE: No, not directly. There is a, there is a process.

Host: Not directly? So, through someone else?

JOYCE: No, because it said that – they have said, I’m not going to deny it. They have said that everybody has to coordinate through the Leader’s Office, but maybe that’s the case in all parties. I don’t know, Tanya [Plibersek] could tell you that.

Host: Well, we’re not going to Tanya on this one. We’re sticking with you.

JOYCE: Yes, I can see that.

Host: Have you indirectly been told to stay in your electorate?

JOYCE: Well, everybody’s been. Well, no, you’ve been told that you have to get permission from the Leader’s Office to go to other electorates, but that was conveyed to everybody.

Host: So, have they told everybody? Because it’s really directed at you?

JOYCE: Well, I don’t know whether it’s directed at me. You’d have to go to the person who dropped the story and ask them if it’s directed at me.

Host: So, one senior National source familiar with the Nationals, apparently is saying women didn’t trust us at the last election and Barnaby was a key reason for that.

JOYCE: Well, why do we win every seat and up an extra Senate seat? Why is it that every election I’ve gone to as leader or deputy, we never, ever went backwards, even when the Liberal Party went massively backwards.

Host: How are you getting along with David Littleproud, Barnaby?

JOYCE: Have I got 100 per cent of the men’s vote? I mean, I don’t know. How does this work?

Host: How do you, how are you getting along with David Littleproud?

JOYCE: Oh, very well.

That sound you hear is 11 Nationals spitting out their coffee in unison at Joyce’s last answer.