John Oliver skewers 'hypocritical' Barnaby Joyce over affair

The British comedian took aim at the scandal-hit Joyce, taking notable glee in his "hypocritical" opposition to last November's marriage equality vote.  

"Joyce is a social-conservative who opposed same-sex marriage in [Australia's] referendum last year because he believes in traditional family values. And you can probably see where this is going..." Oliver joked to his US audience.

"Now you might think that that is hypocritical, but in reality Joyce has such incredible family values that he can't restrict them to just one family."

Oliver also took a sly dig at the media circus that's greeted the scandal, showing a Seven News report of Campion's father Peter threatening to roast the deputy PM on "a spit".

"I think that might be the most Australian man who has ever lived," joked Oliver.

"In Australia, they don't actually have Santa Claus, they just have that guy coming down your chimney and, whether you've been bad or good, he just beats you with a newspaper."

Joyce, who took personal leave amid calls for him to be sacked or resign, has said he is "not going anywhere" and described the fallout over his affair as a "witch hunt".

Oliver, no stranger to the foibles of Australian politics, has previously gone after Joyce.

The comedian first targeted the Deputy PM in 2015 during Joyce's stand-off with actor Johnny Depp over his pet terriers Pistol and Boo.

In Sunday's episode, Oliver also ribbed the volatile relationship between Malcolm Turnbull and Donald Trump, replaying the leaked footage of Turnbull's notorious roast of Trump at a press dinner last June.

The two leaders are set to meet in Washington this week.

"That is a key ally using the fact that our president is a pathological liar as a punchline, and crushing that room like a fourth-grader with a carrot stick stuck up his nose," Oliver said of Turnbull's impression.

smh.com.au