Veteran Australian lawmaker Bob Katter threatened Channel Nine journalist Josh Bavas during a press conference on immigration outside Queensland’s parliament in Brisbane on 28 August. When Bavas noted Katter’s Lebanese ancestry, the 80-year-old MP raised his fist, warned, “Don’t say that! I’ve punched blokes in the mouth for saying that,” and branded the reporter a racist. Katter added that his family had lived in Australia for 140 years and said he was “restraining” himself from violence. The media event had been called to promote Katter’s planned appearance at Sunday’s March For Australia, an anti-immigration rally scheduled for several cities. The exchange abruptly ended the briefing, overshadowing the lawmaker’s message on border policy. Channel Nine’s director of news and current affairs, Fiona Dear, called the threat “unacceptable” and demanded an apology, describing Katter’s racism allegation as “baseless and offensive.” In a subsequent radio interview, Katter said he would not apologise. His son and state MP Robbie Katter defended the outburst, while media unions criticised the intimidation of a journalist. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters the behaviour was "completely inappropriate" and urged all public figures to respect press freedom. No police complaint had been lodged by Thursday evening, but industry groups said they were considering referring the incident to parliamentary authorities. Katter, Australia’s longest-serving federal MP and leader of the rural-focused Katter’s Australian Party, has a history of headline-grabbing remarks. The latest confrontation has renewed debate over standards of conduct for elected officials ahead of the weekend rallies.