𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

A politician has said he regrets not punching a reporter after his heritage was questioned. Bob Katter, 81, the Father of Australia’s House of Representatives, has served as the federal member for Kennedy in Queensland since 1993. A video clip of him threatening to hit a journalist, Josh Bavas, as he was questioned about his support for an anti-immigration march went viral last year. Mr Bavas, referring to Mr Katter’s father, Carl Robert Katter, who migrated to Australia in 1898, said: “You’ve got Lebanese Heritage yourself –“

Interjecting, Mr Katter said: “Oh, mate, don’t say that, because that irritates me, and I’ll punch blokes in the mouth for saying that. Don’t you dare say that. My family have been in this country for 140 years, right?” He reiterated that he would normally hit someone if they raised his ancestry, but he was restraining himself on this occasion.

“I’m an Australian; my family have been here since the dawn of time,” Mr Katter added. “That’s the end of it.” He then called Mr Bavas a “racist”, and said he wanted him chucked out of the country.

Now, Mr Katter has told the Express that he wishes he went further.

He said: “He deserved a good hiding; my only regret is that I didn’t finish it off.

“But the reason for that was, I looked down and was frozen with fear, and I’m sure he wet his pants. That saved him from getting a good hiding, and me going to jail.”

Mr Katter’s team said that, following the altercation, a ratio of 70:30 of people were in favour of him on social media, and 95% of several thousand calls and emails to his office were “supportive”.

“It was extremely popular here in Australia,” Mr Katter added.

Mr Bavas said: “During that press conference I was trying to ask Mr Katter what message he had for the immigrants who came to Australia with good values, who work hard and build cohesive communities.

“I was thinking of my mother and her family who immigrated from Scotland on and my grandparents on my father’s side who came from Greece.

“I thought he would like to share about his family.

“Sadly I didn’t get to finish that question before he threatened to punch me.

“I was raised with Christian values where I was taught to turn the other cheek, love your neighbour as yourself and pray for your enemies.”

Mr Katter has suggested that some people who migrate to Australia do not share the country’s values. In January, Mr Katter claimed in relation to alleged Bondi Beach shooters – Sajid Akram and his son Naveed – that “the government let in two extremely dangerous people into this country”.

Naveed was born in Australia in 2001 and is an Australian citizen. Sajid came to Australia in 1998 on a student visa under the Howard government.