A Loud On-Air Outcry, and the Reason? A Dog!

A prominent member of Australia’s far-right One Nation party sparked widespread controversy after unleashing his anger on a misbehaving dog during a live television interview.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce interrupted a live interview with ABC News yesterday evening, shouting at the dog, “Sit!” before turning to a journalist and saying, “Sorry, it’s the dog.”

The troublesome dog later interrupted the interview again, prompting Joyce to comment once more: “I apologize for this dog’s behavior; it has started causing a disturbance.”

Journalist Sarah Ferguson responded, “Don’t worry about the dog; just answer the question,” to which Joyce angrily replied, “Don’t be rude. Otherwise, this interview will end, Sarah.”

His remarks sparked widespread debate in Australia. Georgie Purcell, a Member of Parliament for Victoria from the Animals Justice Party, wrote on social media, as reported by the Agence France-Presse today: “If you think it’s normal to talk to your dog like that, sit!”