Mr Joyce's opposite number accused the agriculture minister of trying to make changes to the official records which contained answers he gave during a heated debate in Canberra. 

Opposition agriculture spokesperson Joel Fitzgibbon said Mr Joyce had been caught out misleading the Federal Parliament by attempting to amend the official parliamentary Hansard.

Mr Joyce admitted his ministerial office in Canberra made attempts to edit the records and that he was not responsible for initiating the changes.

“I understand a request for minor edits was made to Hansard by my staff without my knowledge, my staff have been counselled,” Mr Joyce said.

He also said a request was made by his office for the controversial amendments to “be removed from the Hansard before the Hansard is finalised.”  

Mr Fitzgibbon said the program is a good idea, but had been poorly designed and mismanaged.

“One of the conditions include making recipients enter into obligatory agreements,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

Michael Jackson, a farmer operating a number of large properties throughout the region, has come to the defence of the minister.

“I believe Barnaby is doing a wonderful job but I reckon the government would be better off entering into an agreement with the country’s banks to lower the interest rates farmers pay on loan overdrafts,” Mr Jackson said.

“The banks set higher rates of interest on overdrafts, it’s hard enough making payments without a cash flow and it just makes no sense.”