Bob Katter is not in the federal parliament today – he is in Queensland, where he has just threatened to punch a journalist in the mouth, because that journalist (Josh Bavas from the Nine network, who I worked with at the Queensland press gallery when he was with the ABC) for asking about Katter’s Lebanese heritage, given Katter’s support for anti-immigration ralles.

Katter’s grandfather migrated to Australia from Lebanon in the late 1800s and changed his name from Carlyle Assad Khittar to Carl Robert Katter. It is not the first time Katter has become agitated when being reminded of his Lebanese heritage – he also became very upset when questioned about it during the section 44 crisis.