Barnaby Joyce's boss breaks his silence over embarrassing video showing the ex-deputy prime minister sprawled on the side of the road – as a cheeky marker pops up where he tumbled

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has defended Barnaby Joyce after he was caught on video lying on his back near a gutter and muttering swear words into his phone.

Daily Mail Australia revealed exclusive footage of the country's former deputy prime minister, 56, stretched out on the footpath on Lonsdale Street, in the Canberra suburb of Braddon, at 11.26pm on Wednesday.

Sources claimed the Nationals frontbencher was sitting on the large potted plant while having an animated phone conversation with his wife, Vikki Campion, when he fell off, 'rolled on the floor' and continued with his phone call.

The incident has led to calls from Labor for the Nationals MP to explain the “disturbing” incident, while Mr Dutton has defended Mr Joyce.

“It's quite rough when people walk past someone who might need support,” Dutton told Sky News on Sunday.

'But I will have a conversation with Barnaby this week and (National Leader) David Littleproud also spoke with Barnaby this week… and that's where the situation is at the moment.'

Mr Dutton broke his silence when a chalk drawing of Mr Joyce's profile was spotted by residents at the spot where the former Nationals leader fell.

Peter Dutton (pictured) has defended Barnaby Joyce after he was caught on video lying on his back near a gutter when a brutal monument appeared on the site

Opposition spokesman Angus Taylor said Joyce's welfare must be the top priority.

“Look, people like to jump to conclusions about these things and I certainly don't do that and I don't think anyone should do that,” he told ABC's Insiders.

“I think the main issue for us is Barnaby's well-being, and we will do that. We will continue to focus on that. I will certainly continue to focus on that.

“He obviously wasn't (OK) at the time.”

A photo of the chalk outline was shared to Reddit, where social media users called for a permanent marker to be installed at the scene.

“Should actually be cast in bronze,” someone wrote.

Another added: “We should put a little sign there.”

'I love how creative people are. It really makes me feel better, especially knowing there are Australians who voted for him in the first place,” wrote a third.

Mr Joyce, the Opposition Veteran's Affairs spokesman, dismissed the video as “embarrassing” and said he had fallen over a planter after walking home from a late night parliamentary meeting.

“I was walking back to my accommodation when Parliament got up at 10pm,” he said.

'While I was on the phone, I sat on the edge of a planter, fell over, kept talking on the phone and very animatedly referred to myself as having fallen.

“I got up and walked home.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the situation was an opposition matter but called on Mr Joyce to explain his behavior to the public.

'I know people will enjoy it, but from a personal point of view I don't like to see anyone in that condition. I find it a bit disturbing,” Dr Chalmers said Sky News on Sunday.

A cheeky chalk drawing of the crime scene (pictured) by Mr Joyce emerged at the scene last weekend to mark the latest incident to befall a man prone to being in the news for the wrong reasons.

'I'm not going to call Barnaby on it. He has to explain.'

Peter Campion, father of Joyce's wife Vikki Campion, said the former deputy prime minister had received a devastating message shortly before the incident.

“He had some really bad family news that day,” Campion told Daily Mail Australia on Saturday.

'He has already lost a brother to cancer, you have to start with that. He had very bad similar news, which is not for me to reveal, but of the same magnitude, and it affected him deeply.

'As my daughter said, he was in a very, very bad situation and deeply depressed.

'Any decent human being who came across someone in that position, who was so sad that they collapsed on the footpath, would stop and help, not just make a video clip and sell it to the media.

“The biggest part of this story wasn't Barnaby being an emotional wreck on the sidewalk, but the lack of caring nature of his countrymen, his fellow Australians.”