This Australian Politician Was Asked About Same-Sex Marriage and Quickly Changed the Topic to Crocodile Attacks

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.