WATCH: Moment Australian politician threatens to punch journalist who asked about his heritage 'on the mouth'
A viral Australian politician threatened to punch a journalist during a press conference where he threw his support behind an upcoming anti-immigration march.
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Bob Katter, independent MP for Kennedy, made a threatening gesture to the reporter outside Queensland state parliament in Brisbane on Thursday morning when he was asked about his Lebanese heritage.
Mr Katter had been talking about deporting everybody who had attended a recent pro-Palestine march - it is estimated that about 150,000 people attended the protests.
He said: “If you have anti-Australian sentiments, then get the hell out of my country, because we are taking the names down now of anyone who treats our flag badly. The gloves are coming right off now."
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He was cut off by 9News Queensland reporter Josh Bavas who said: "You’ve got Lebanese heritage yourself."
This angered Mr Katter who cut in before Mr Bavas could finish his question to say: "I punch blokes in the mouth for saying that, don’t you dare say that.
"My family have been in this country for 140 years…"
Mr Katter's grandfather, Carlyle Assad Khittar, emigrated to Australia from Lebanon in 1898.
He added: "I have, on many occasions, punched blokes in the mouth, right? So I’m restraining myself today. Don’t say it!"
He refused to take any more questions from Mr Bavas, who continued to try to ask about his views on migration.
"There are people who have come here from other countries, like yourselves, like your family, that have good values," Mr Bavas said.
Mr Katter then walked up to the journalist and shook his fist at him.
"Don’t say that, because you’re a racist," he said.
"You’re a racist. You cannot say what you just said without being identified as a racist … This man is a racist.
"If he asks a racist question which implies racism, I’m not going to answer it.
"And I don’t consider him a proper Australian, a fair-minded Australian. He sees people as foreign because of their heritage."
Mr Katter has previously gone viral for a bizarre rant about his views on gay marriage that quickly segues into a commentary on crocodile attacks.
During the rant, he can be heard saying: "People are entitled to their sexual proclivities. You know, let there be a thousand blossoms bloom, as far as I'm concerned.
"But I ain't spending any time on it because, in the mean time, every three months a person's torn to pieces by a crocodile in North Queensland."
During Thursday's press conference, Mr Katter spoke about the upcoming anti-migration march in Brisbane this weekend which calls for "an end to mass migration".
Mr Katter told reporters that he would be "front and centre" at the rally.
"We’re going to do everything humanly possible to ensure that if there are any migrants coming to this country, then they will … tick the boxes.
"Do they have democracy? Do they have rule of law? Do they have Christianity or some similar belief system? Do they have egalitarian traditions? Do they have industrial awards? And if they don’t tick the boxes, they don’t come."
When asked if he wanted a ban on migration from Islamic countries, he replied: "You can read whatever you want into it, right?"