A controversial Queensland politician has unleashed a threatening spray at a journalist, calling him a “racist” and refusing to answer questions during a press conference in Brisbane.
Maverick MP Bob Katter was at a press conference alongside his son, Robbie, on Thursday morning to throw Katter’s Australian Party support behind so-called March For Australia rallies, which claim to advocate “for Australian values”.
Katter is also calling for the names of people who attend what he called “anti-Australian rallies”.
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Katter, 80, launched a heated exchange with Channel 9 reporter Josh Bavas who began asking a question about the politician’s Lebanese heritage.
“Don’t say that because that irritates me and I punch blokes in the mouth for saying that,” Katter said.
“If you say anything like that, I have on many occasions punched blokes in the mouth so I’m restraining myself today.”
Katter waved away other reporters who asked what was wrong with Bavas’ question.
Katter said he was “not dealing with the subject” and his family had been in Australia since “the dawn of time”.
After Bavas requested to finish the question, Katter walked up to the reporter and brought a fist toward his face, calling him a racist.
“You cannot say what you just said without being identified as a racist,” he said. “Gentlemen, ladies, this man is a racist, don’t listen to him, please.”
“I don’t think it’s fair to threaten a journalist with a fist before they’ve even finished the question,” Bavas said.
“I think it’s quite offensive.”
KAP deputy party leader Nick Dametto said that it was Bavas who had first offended Katter with his question.
“What was my offence?” Bavas said.
“You’ve offended him, haven’t you listened to him?” Dometto said before the press conference returned to discussions on “anti-Australian” sentiments from migrants, according to the KAP.
The party took aim at Australian’s attending pro-Palestine protests, and at migrants, who they said were flocking to cities such as Melbourne and Sydney, for not assimilating into “Australian values”.
“I have a very clear-cut picture in my mind what is Australian values,” Katter said.
“If you don’t want to be Australians, we don’t want you to be Australians, and you can get the hell out of this country.”
March For Australia rallies are set to be held at locations around Australia this weekend, calling for a ban on foreign flags, an end to mass immigration and also advocating for what event organisers call “remigration”.
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