Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce found himself at the center of a viral TV clip in Australia after snapping at a dog and then clashing with the journalist interviewing him.
What began as a political exchange quickly turned into online outrage over the way he treated both the animal and the reporter questioning him.
What happened?
The incident unfolded during a one-on-one on ABC, where Joyce suddenly broke off to shout, "Sit down!" at a dog. He then explained the interruption to ABC journalist Sarah Ferguson — "Sorry, it's the dog" — before the animal disrupted the exchange again, as Malay Mail reported.
Ferguson had been questioning him about One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's recent sit-down with British far-right figure Tommy Robinson. As she tried to return to that subject, Joyce said, "I do apologize for this dog, it's just started to bail up."
Once Ferguson replied, "Don't worry about the dog, just answer the question," Joyce's frustration shifted from the dog to the interviewer. He responded: "Don't be rude. Otherwise, this interview will come to a grinding halt, Sarah."
The scene also brought back memories of Joyce's earlier controversy involving actor Johnny Depp's dogs, which he once threatened to kill, according to the Mail.
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Why does it matter?
Much of the backlash centered on Joyce's conduct in the moment: both how he handled pressure during the interview and how he spoke to the dog.
Victoria Animal Justice Party lawmaker Georgie Purcell wrote on social media: "if you think this is a normal way to speak to your dog, sit down!"
What's being done?
So far, the clearest response has been public criticism, with viewers, lawmakers, and commentators calling out the behavior as it happened and afterward.
Joyce later framed the uproar as a divide between urban and regional Australia. "People in the regions laugh about it. People in the inner city think it's a war crime," he told the Sydney Morning Herald, per the Mail.
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