A veteran Australian lawmaker has been widely mocked on Twitter, after an interview in which he bizarrely segued from welcoming the country’s vote on gay marriage to complaining about the prevalence of crocodile attacks in his constituency.
Bob Katter, who campaigned to resist changing the same sex marriage law in the country’s referendum last Wednesday, appeared to soften his tone in the wake of the country’s overwhelming vote to legalize gay marriage.
“I mean, you know, people are entitled to their sexual proclivities. Let there be a thousand blossoms bloom, as far as I am concerned,” he said at a press conference in an upbeat tone.
But suddenly he became serious, brow furrowing. “But I ain’t spending any time on it,” he growled, “because in the meantime, every three months, a person is torn to pieces by a crocodile in north Queensland.”
The clip, shared thousands of times, cuts back to an ABC news studio. “So we should put the whole country on hold until we sort out that particular problem,” one anchor said. “He makes a very compelling point,” joked another.
Australian government data shows 11 people have been killed by crocodiles in Queensland since 1985.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- The Revolution of Yulia Navalnaya
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- Stop Looking for Your Forever Home
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Billy Perrigo at billy.perrigo@time.com