A live television interview took an unexpected turn when a senior figure in Australia’s far-right One Nation party erupted at a poorly behaved dog, creating headlines far beyond the political discussion.
Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce was speaking with national broadcaster ABC last night when he abruptly broke away from the one-on-one exchange and shrieked: “Sit down!”
“Sorry, it’s the dog,” he explained to the journalist.
The unruly pooch soon disrupted the interview again. “I do apologise for this dog, it’s just started to bail up,” Mr Joyce said.
When challenged, he fired back: “Don’t be rude. Otherwise, this interview will come to a grinding halt, Sarah.”
It was not the cattle-farming politician’s first brush with canine controversy. He previously threatened to kill dogs belonging to Hollywood actor Johnny Depp.
The outburst sparked anger across Australia. Georgie Purcell, a Victoria state politician with the Animal Justice Party, wrote on social media: “If you think this is a normal way to speak to your dog, sit down!”
Responding to the criticism, Mr Joyce told the Sydney Morning Herald that the reaction exposed a cultural gulf between city dwellers and rural Australians.
“People in the regions laugh about it,” he said.
“People in the inner city think it’s a war crime.”
The episode comes as opinion polls indicate One Nation, long considered a fringe movement under provocateur Ms Hanson, has emerged in recent months as Australia’s most popular party.
Ms Hanson has also defended her appearance on a podcast hosted by Mr Robinson, a former football hooligan who became an anti-Islam activist and has seen his public profile surge in recent years.
Her remarks prompted outrage in Australia after she told Mr Robinson that ending the “White Australia” policy—which restricted non-white immigration—in the 1970s was partly to blame for the nation’s present-day problems.
Ms Hanson later denied advocating for the policy’s return.
