Barnaby Joyce yelled at his dog during an ABC's 7.30 interview, creating a viral moment that quickly spread online. The former deputy prime minister, now a One Nation recruit, was defending party leader Pauline Hanson over her meeting with far-right agitator Tommy Robinson in the UK.
During the interview, host Sarah Ferguson pressed Joyce on whether his defection to One Nation was dragging him into intolerance and racial discrimination. As Joyce began to answer, he suddenly yelled "SIT DOWN!" off-screen, then chuckled and apologized, saying it was his dog.
Heated exchange
Ferguson responded, "Don't worry about the dog. Just answer the question." Joyce snapped back, "Don't be rude. Otherwise, this interview will come to a grinding halt."
The incident occurred as One Nation faces scrutiny over Hanson's European trip, which included meeting Robinson, attending a Dolce & Gabbana fashion show, and poolside downtime with mining billionaire Gina Rinehart. Hanson has faced criticism for controversial comments about Muslims and the White Australia policy.
Dog details and reactions
Joyce later told reporters his dog is a "staffy-border collie" cross that was under the deck barking incessantly. The viral clip was shared widely on social media, with Hanson herself posting it on Facebook, saying, "Poor Barnaby had to put up with his dog distracting him during an already hostile ABC interview."
This is not Joyce's first dog-related viral moment. In 2015, as agriculture minister, he made Johnny Depp and Amber Heard film an apology video for bringing their dogs into Australia illegally, threatening to have the dogs put down.
