Bob Katter, the federal parliament’s longest-serving Member of Parliament and leader of Katter’s Australian Party, found himself in a heated exchange with Nine Network journalist Josh Bavas in Brisbane on Thursday. In the heat of a television interview, Bavas shamelessly challenged Katter over his Lebanese ancestry. To the untrained ear, this question would seem to provoke a relatively tame response from the 80-year-old MP, member for Queensland seat of Kennedy.
Katter’s family history originates in Lebanon, with his grandfather, Carl Robert Katter, having immigrated to Australia in 1898. In spite of this heritage, Katter’s rant was a powerful and emotional articulation of Australian identity and culture. He claimed that migrants settling primarily in Melbourne and Sydney have not embraced Australian values, a statement he reinforced by declaring, “I am Australian. My family have been here since the dawn of time.”
The exchange heated up when Bavas questioned how migrant families had contributed to Australia. In particular, he called out the Katters’ family. Katter abruptly interrupted him, stating, “Don’t say that, because that irritates me, and I punch blokes in the mouth for saying that.” Bavas continued to press on with his line of questioning. At the same time, Katter came up to him with a clenched fist, kicking things up a notch.
After the incident, Katter insisted that Bavas apologize to him. He later took to social media to express his indignation, stating, “To be seen as anything other than Australian is highly insulting to me.” His remarks come just days before major pro-Australia protests this week across the country. Katter said he would be “front and centre” for the rally in Brisbane this Sunday.
This rally coincides with the last weekend of Queensland’s Multicultural Month. This wonderful occasion recognizes the amazing diversity that exists in our neighborhood. Katter’s comments have sparked outrage from all sides. Fiona Dear, a commentator on the incident, noted that Katter’s response to Bavas was an “irresponsible attempt to shut down a legitimate line of questioning.”
Bavas responded to Katter’s threats by asserting, “I don’t think it’s fair to threaten journalists with a fist before they’ve even finished the question – I think it’s quite offensive to threaten a journalist.” His statements underscore the ugliness that often surrounds debate over identity and immigration here in Australia.
Katter’s comments reflect a broader debate regarding national identity and the challenges faced by migrants in integrating into Australian society. As debates over cultural values begin to change, Katter’s volcanic retort shows the tensions at play on these emerging topics.
