'Bat poo crazy': Barnaby Joyce offers his views on Hanson's 'Islam is a disease' comments
The deputy prime minister has slammed One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's assessment that Islam is a disease, describing her view as "bat poo crazy".
Barnaby Joyce hit back following Ms Hanson's calls to "pray for a Muslim ban" in the wake of the terror attack in London.
That was followed by comments in a TV interview in which Ms Hanson said Islam was disease that Australia needs "to vaccinate ourselves against".
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was among a chorus of critics who came out against the One Nation leader, but the deputy PM added his unique voice, saying "this bat poo crazy stuff does not help anybody".
"You can't say stuff like that, you just can't. It's mad," Mr Joyce said.
"The more I hear from One Nation, the more I think that other people are hearing the same stuff, it's kind of crazy," he said.
Mr Joyce added Ms Hanson's comments could also jeopardise Australia's trading relationship with some Muslim nations.
The National Party leader's critique followed Mr Turnbull's comments on Friday, in which he said condemning all Muslims for the actions of a few was playing into the enemy's hands.
"The object of the Islamist terrorist is to get the broader society to turn on Muslims at large," he told 3AW's Neil Mitchell on Friday.
"If you seek to attribute to all Australian Muslims responsibility for the crimes of ISIL then you are doing what ISIL wants."
Senator Hanson on Thursday released video footage which encouraged people not to pray for London in the wake of the attack at Westminster.
"It's pray for Muslim ban. That is how you solve the problem," she added.
Labor leader Bill Shorten later weighed into the debate, arguing talk was cheap.
"If Malcolm Turnbull thinks One Nation is helping ISIS, he should stop helping One Nation get elected," he said.
"Why is he still refusing to put One Nation last? He can make all the platitudes he likes, but it's his policy to help One Nation get elected."
Newsbreak – March 25
