Australia news live: Barnaby Joyce dogged by Tommy Robinson questions – and by a dog – in spiky ABC interview

The Joyce interview was spiky from the start, as he responded to Ferguson’s welcome saying:

I don’t know whether you do welcome me, but let’s have a go.

It was also made more awkward by several interruptions by a dog.

The first time, as Joyce was asked if he was “comfortable with where [Hanson] is taking you”, he turned and loudly yelled “sit down!” off camera, then explained “sorry, it’s a dog”. He then explained that he believed One Nation’s views mirrored a large proportion of Australia.

The second time, he was asked about suggestions One Nation would implement mass deportations by intercepting visa overstayers during medical visits.

A glum Joyce replied:

I have to apologise for this dog, which has decided to bail up my…

Ferguson said:

Don’t worry about the dog. Just answer the question.

Joyce responded:

Don’t be rude. Don’t be rude. Otherwise, this interview will come to a grinding halt, Sarah. So what was the question actually?

The subject of the dog was returned to at the interview’s conclusion, with Ferguson saying:

Thank you very much indeed for joining us Barnaby Joyce. The dog was no problem. Thank you.

Joyce:

It was to me.

One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce has tried to defend party leader Pauline Hanson’s decision to meet far-right convicted criminal Tommy Robinson during a recent visit to the UK.

Hanson and her colleagues have spent recent days clarifying, explaining or walking back headline-grabbing parts of the One Nation leader’s trip to Europe, including a podcast interview with Robinson.

On ABC’s ۷.۳۰ program last night, Joyce first acknowledged Robinson had done “some things” that were “basically against the law” but went on to blame a “form of Balkanisation, where there’s not an assimilation” for “massive problems, and we saw that in Bondi”.

The host, Sarah Ferguson, put to Joyce that Hanson was effectively endorsing a man with an extensive criminal record, who had been condemned by UK authorities for encouraging race riots and retribution against minorities.

My question to you, Barnaby Joyce, is: is that not a red line?

Joyce responded:

I believe that there is not a condoning of every action of Tommy Robinson.

I don’t think that was ever said.

During the interview, Joyce also said that he did not know who had bankrolled Hanson’s trip.

Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Steph Convery with the main action.

We start with Barnaby Joyce’s rather unusual interview with the ABC’s ۷.۳۰ last night, in which he attempted to defend some of the more controversial aspects of his leader’s trip to Europe, in particular Pauline Hanson’s podcast with Tommy Robinson, while simultaneously trying to fend off an apparently misbehaving dog.