Barnaby Joyce, the One Nation MP and former deputy prime minister, lost his temper with his dog during a live television interview on Monday night while defending party leader Pauline Hanson’s controversial European tour.
During the tense exchange on ABC’s 7.30 programme, host Sarah Ferguson pressed Joyce on whether his defection to the hard-right One Nation was dragging him “further into a place of intolerance and racial discrimination”. As Ferguson posed the question, Joyce’s eyes darted off-screen before he suddenly shouted: “Sit down!” He then apologised, explaining: “It’s the dog.”
Ferguson urged him to ignore the animal and answer, but Joyce retorted: “Don’t be rude. Otherwise, this interview will come to a grinding halt.” Later, Joyce told the Guardian that his dog, Stella, a staffy-border collie cross, had been “barking incessantly” under the deck where he was standing.
The outburst overshadowed Joyce’s defence of Hanson, who is currently on a “working holiday” in Europe that included holidaying with mining billionaire Gina Rinehart, speaking at a conservative conference in London, and appearing on a podcast with far-right agitator Tommy Robinson. Hanson’s One Nation party is riding high in the polls, with about 30% of the primary vote.
Joyce is no stranger to controversy. In 2015, as agriculture minister, he forced Hollywood actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard to film an apology for illegally bringing their dogs into Australia. More recently, in 2024, footage emerged of Joyce lying on a pavement in Canberra, uttering profanities during a phone call.
