Independent MP Bob Katter is facing calls to either apologise or resign and has been referred to the parliamentary standards tribunal for threatening to punch a Nine reporter.
Katter doubled down yesterday and claimed he should have been “more aggressive” following his threatening outburst at 9News journalist Josh Bavas last week during a press conference.
Parliamentarians have demanded Katter publicly apologise and the 80-year-old has been referred to the parliamentary standards tribunal by Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.
READ MORE: Police descend on accused gunman Dezi Freeman’s property
Young today said she has written to Speaker of the House Milton Dick and the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission (IPSC) to demand action.
The IPSC, which was launched last year, is an independent workplace investigation framework which enforces the behaviour code and standard for sitting parliamentarians.
The commission has the power to dock pay or suspend an MP.
“The threat on Friday was bad enough but to have now doubled down on it and said he should have been ‘more aggressive’ is unthinkable for someone in public life,” Hanson-Young said.
READ MORE: ‘Badge of honour’: Premier responds to neo-Nazi’s verbal attack
“Mr Katter has doubled down because he hasn’t received any sanction. He seems to think that the normal rules of respectful engagement don’t apply to him. This is not OK.
“Mr Katter should unreservedly apologise to Josh Bavas or resign from parliament.”
Hanson-Young added: “The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.”
The parliament has an important role to play in setting the standards of behaviour and this is clearly unacceptable conduct.”
Katter told the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday that he regrets not being “more aggressive with him”.
“Far from apologising, I should have just kept going. I’ll leave to your imagination what that means,” Katter said.
“I hope I don’t run across him again. He better examine his conscience.”
The long-serving MP has faced bipartisan criticism for his behaviour, including from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
“We are a migrant nation,” Albanese said today.
“Our strength has been forged by generations of people who chose this country, worked hard and came together around the values of fairness, tolerance, respect, and reward for effort.”
Former deputy prime minister and Labor Party president Wayne Swan appeared on Today yesterday and called on Katter to apologise and “take the journo for a beer”.
Katter was expressing support for anti-immigration rallies scheduled across the country over the weekend when 9News reporter Bavas began asking him about his Lebanese heritage.
Bavas was unable to finish his question before the furious MP interjected.
READ MORE: Kim Jong Un heading to Beijing in lavish but slow-moving armoured train
“Oh mate, don’t say that because that irritates me,” Katter shouted.
“I’ve punched blokes in the mouth for saying that, don’t you dare say that.”
“My family have been in this country for 140 years.”
Nine’s news and current affairs director Fiona Dear later issued a statement demanding an apology and branding the accusation of racism as “baseless and offensive”.
9news.com.au has contacted Katter and the IPSC for comment.
DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
