Posted February 26, 2018 17:31:27

The office of the Federal Government's chief whip has confirmed it has fired a staffer over an email mocking the former prime minister and deputy prime minister.

Photo: An email joke about Barnaby Joyce accidentally sent out from the chief whip's office was swiftly recalled. (Supplied)

An official email was sent from Nola Marino's office this morning with an old image of Tony Abbott sitting and chatting with Barnaby Joyce on the backbench in the House of Representatives.

The image compared the men to school children and suggested Mr Joyce had gotten into trouble and was now forced to sit next to "the weird kid no-one likes".

The email, which was recalled just minutes later, was sent to numerous journalists.

It was later confirmed that Ryan Hadjimihalakis, a media adviser who also goes by the name Ryan Hadji, had been sacked for sending the email.

It came on the day Mr Joyce officially moved to the backbench, following his resignation as leader of the National Party.

This morning, the Nationals chose Michael McCormack as their new leader and Australia's new Deputy Prime Minister.

Topics: joyce-barnaby, abbott-tony, nationals, government-and-politics, political-parties, australia