Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has condemned anti-lockdown and mask claims made by Nationals MP George Christensen, but says he can’t "muzzle" his right to speak out.
The Queensland MP delivered a pre-Question Time rant to parliament on Tuesday, claiming pandemic measures to enforce lockdowns and wear masks don’t work.
"Open society back up, restore our freedoms, end this madness," he said.
Mr Joyce, who is absent from Canberra because he himself is in lockdown, said he had spoken to his colleague following the comments.
He made clear he did not condone them, but described the prospect of silencing Mr Christensen as "near zero".
“I’ve had a conversation with him - that doesn’t mean he is a slave of anybody,” Mr Joyce told ABC Radio on Wednesday.
Coalition MPs backed a Labor motion on Tuesday in the House of Representatives denouncing Mr Christensen's speech in parliament.
Mr Joyce was pressed on whether the comments posed a threat to undermining health advice.
“I don’t agree with him, so you’re going up a dry gully with this,” he said.
“What you’re are asking, is to say, Barnaby go out there and muzzle George Christensen ... He is a free individual, he can say what he likes.”
Both Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition leader Anthony Albanese spoke out against his claims following the address.
Mr Morrison said his government did not support misinformation in any shape or form but did not directly name Mr Christensen.
Deputy Nationals Leader David Littleproud has also condemned the comments, pointing out Nationals members had backed the motion in parliament against them.
“We sent a powerful message that we do not support his comments,” he said.
However, Nationals Senator Matt Canavan voiced support for his anti-lockdown message, citing concerns about mental health and other impacts.
“The lockdowns are having an enormous, enormous mental health impact on Australians,” he told reporters.
“This strict inflexible and cruel lockdown is clearly not the right response right now.”
But Senator Canavan said he disagreed with Mr Christensen's position on masks, and supported “sensible restrictions on movement, testing, tracing and social distancing requirements".
Mr Joyce urged people to follow the health advice and get vaccinated, if for not any other reason than the economic benefit.
“I am saying quite clearly, if it is not for your health reasons, it’s for the economic reasons,” he said.
“We must get this economy going again.”
Mr Christensen has announced he will retire at the next election.
