Australian politician Barnaby Joyce has addressed public backlash after he yelled at his dog, Stella, during an interview with ABC's 7.30 on Monday night. Joyce, whose staffy-border collie cross reportedly interrupted the interview, was heard off-screen shouting "sit down" at the animal.
Joyce, speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday, described Stella as a "young" farm dog. "It just came under the deck while Sarah Ferguson was giving me a grilling. I tried [to go on] for a while, hoping it would stop. I was missing Sarah's questions," he said, adding that the dog "loved" him in the morning.
He also commented on the public reaction to his outburst, suggesting it highlighted a "regional-city divide." "People in the regions laugh about it. People in the inner-city think it's a war crime," Joyce stated.
The incident drew criticism from Georgie Purcell, an MP for the Animal Justice Party. Purcell suggested Joyce's behavior reflects a broader attitude within One Nation towards animals. "I know a lot of people are laughing it off but I think it creates a bit of a culture of disrespect, and that can lead on to much more adverse outcomes when it comes to our animals," Purcell told Melbourne radio station 3AW.
Purcell referenced Joyce's 2015 threat to euthanize the dogs of actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. The couple had brought their two Yorkshire terriers, Pistol and Boo, into Australia without declaring them. Joyce, then Australia's Minister for Agriculture, warned them to send the dogs back to the U.S. or they would be euthanized. The dogs were returned, and Heard and Depp pleaded guilty to dog-smuggling charges. In 2021, Heard named a new puppy "Barnaby Joyce" in a nod to the incident.
Purcell also claimed that Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell, a One Nation MP in Victoria, has a voting record that opposes animal welfare legislation. "What I can say is of all the animal welfare proposals that I've brought to the parliament, including ending the shooting of wombats on private properties, One Nation have voted against almost all of them," Purcell stated.
Joyce's outburst occurred as Ferguson questioned him about One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's proposal for "Mass Deportation." Joyce interrupted the interview twice due to the dog's presence. After the second interruption, Ferguson urged him to continue answering the question, to which Joyce responded, "Oh, don't be rude. Don't be rude otherwise this interview will come to a grinding halt, Sarah."
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson commented on the incident on Tuesday, calling it "funny" and stating, "He told the dog shut up. So what is your problem with that?"