9 Leisure is contemplating authorized motion in opposition to Bob Katter after the impartial MP referred to as 9’s Queensland reporter Josh Bavas a racist and threatened to punch him at a press convention.
The Brisbane outburst got here after Katter expressed help for anti-immigration March for Australia protests deliberate for the weekend. Bavas requested: “You’ve got Lebanese heritage yourself … ” earlier than Katter lower him off.
The member for Kennedy walked as much as the Channel 9 reporter and shook his fist at him.
“Don’t say that, because you’re a racist. You’re a racist. You cannot say what you just said without being identified as a racist … this man is a racist,” Katter stated. The alternate was filmed.
9 executives have been discussing taking defamation motion in opposition to Katter, sources stated. The corporate has demanded an apology from Katter.
Bavas was criticised on-line by individuals who appeared to agree with Katter and referred to as on the reporter to apologise as a result of “he was the one doing the baiting”.
Katter stated on Thursday that Bavas was not “a proper Australian, a fair-minded Australian”.
“I punch blokes in the mouth for saying that, don’t you dare say that,” Katter informed the reporter.
“My family have been in this country for 140 years. I have, on many occasions, punched blokes in the mouth, right? So I’m restraining myself today. Don’t say it!”
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Katter refused to take extra questions from Bavas, who continued to ask about his views on migration.
Bavas, who has coated Katter for greater than 15 years as a former ABC north Queensland reporter, stated he was shocked by the outburst as he believed the query was benign.
“In an extraordinary press conference where a federal parliamentarian was talking about taking names on lists and deportation of residents, I was trying to ask a question about the value migrant Australian families, including the Katters and my own family, bring to this nation through shared values,” he stated in a press release on Friday.
“In my near 20 years in journalism, I’ve never experienced that kind of reaction from an elected representative.”
9’s govt director of reports and present affairs, Fiona Pricey, stated Bavas was simply doing his job.
“Mr Katter’s aggressive behaviour and threats were unacceptable,” Pricey stated.
“His baseless and offensive accusation of racism is an irresponsible attempt to shut down a legitimate line of questioning and warrants a public apology from Mr Katter. We stand by Josh Bavas and will continue to report without fear or favour.”
Former MP George Christensen subsequently posted on Fb that folks ought to disrespect journalists – alongside a drawing of a muscular boxing kangaroo with an Australian flag.
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“After Bob Katter’s spray, it’s your patriotic duty to disrespect journalists,” he stated. Most of the 600 feedback have been supportive of the sentiment and referred to as on Bavas to apologise to Katter.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, was important of Katter on Friday.
“Bob Katter I like, but Bob Katter needs to have a look at that footage. Have a look at himself, frankly, and recognise that that’s just not what we expect of any Australian, let alone someone who’s in public office,” he informed 9.
“You’re speaking to someone called Albanese. We’ve got a Senate leader called Wong. Migration enriches. Except for the First Australians, we’re all either migrants or descendants of them.”
The Coalition senator Jane Hume referred to as for Katter to face penalties for threatening violence.
“You should always be able to feel safe and respected at work – journalists and politicians,” she informed the ABC on Friday.
“The idea of threatening violence is entirely unacceptable. There must be consequences.”
Katter’s grandfather, Carlyle Assad Khittar, migrated from Lebanon in 1898. Bavas later in Thursday’s press convention reminded Katter that that they had spoken earlier than about his Lebanese heritage.
Katter has beforehand change into offended when requested about his ancestry within the context of his anti-immigration views.
In 2018, he informed Sky Information reporter Tom Connell that he wanted “a big hiding” for elevating the difficulty, saying it was “racist”.
Bavas stated his full query to Katter, which was lower off, was: “You’ve got Lebanese heritage yourself, what’s your message for hard-working migrants who come here and have the shared values you have?”
Katter was contacted for remark, as was Queensland police.
