The ABC could go three months without an Abbott government frontbencher appearing on Q&A, after Prime Minister Tony Abbott instituted a boycott of the program.

Deputy Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce withdrew from a scheduled appearance on Monday night's Q&A late on Sunday after being told Mr Abbott did not want him to appear. Only hours earlier he had told the ABC's Insiders program that he would appear on the program.

Mr Joyce was to use his appearance to sell the benefits of the government's agriculture white paper, which includes millions of dollars of assistance for farmers.

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull - who has said he opposes a boycott of the program - is scheduled to appear on next week's episode of Q&A. A spokesman for Mr Turnbull said on Monday he had not decided whether he would appear next week.

Asked to explain why Mr Joyce was told not to appear on the program, a spokesman for Mr Abbott said: "Given the ABC is undertaking an inquiry into Q&A, it isn't appropriate for minister Joyce to appear tonight."

The ABC has commissioned an independent audit of Q&A, to be conducted by television veteran Ray Martin and former SBS managing director Shaun Brown. Past editorial audits have taken between eight and 12 weeks to complete.

"They are reviewing 22 programs - it isn't going to be done overnight," an ABC source said.

Former terror suspect Zaky Mallah's controversial appearance on Q&A a fortnight ago will be only one part of Mr Martin and Mr Brown's review. They will conduct a broad examination of Q&A's selection of topics and panellists over 22 programs this year. They will also report on the way audiences are selected and the use of tweets from the public live on air.

The Department of Communications last week finalised a separate review into how Mr Mallah came to appear on Q&A and the program's security arrangements. A three-page summary of the report was released on Friday.

In the days following Mr Mallah's appearance on Q&A, Mr Turnbull said he would continue to appear on the program even though it had made an error of judgment.

"Most of the leading figures in this building have been on the show plenty of times and from my point of view I think we are in the business of getting the message of the government across," he said.

"And so we need to take advantage of every platform that's available. So I'll continue to appear on ABC programs, including Q&A, if I'm invited to be there."

Labor agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon, who appeared on the episode featuring Mr Mallah, said on Monday: "I'd like to have $20 on Malcolm Turnbull appearing on Q&A next Monday night. I would be amazed if Malcolm Turnbull doesn't do what Barnaby Joyce should do today and give the Prime Minister the single finger and get on with it."

Mr Fitzgibbon said it was a "ridiculous proposition" that frontbenchers should boycott the program until the ABC's editorial audit is completed.

"This is not about Zaky Mallah. This is about the Prime Minister and his mind games, his mind manipulation and his determination to shut down any debate which he doesn't believe is in the interest of him and his political party," Mr Fitzgibbon said.

A spokesman for Mr Joyce said on Sunday night: "The Prime Minister has communicated that he does not want any frontbencher to appear on Q&A.

"Barnaby was told this tonight and apologised to Q&A that he would not be able to appear."

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