It's a wonder Barnaby Joyce isn't being blamed for the marriage break-up of Johnny Depp and Amanda Heard.
After all, the Nationals leader - who also doubles as deputy prime minister - is used to copping flak for his straight talking observations.
His latest, noting Labor's ban on live cattle exports in 2011 was followed by a spike in asylum-seeker boat arrivals from Indonesia, threatened to re-ignite another diplomatic row between Jakarta and Canberra.
Only an emphatic denial by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and some nifty footwork by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop saved Mr Joyce from anything more than predictable political barbs.
Tony Windsor, the man trying to end Mr Joyce's parliamentary career in New England, called him "an embarrassment to Australia".
Labor leader Bill Shorten labelled him a clown not fit to be deputy prime minister.
Up until then, it hadn't been a bad week for the Nationals leader.
As agriculture minister he'd unveiled a $578 million relief package for dairy farmers caught out by a big slump in milk prices.
He'd also saved his boss from embarrassment as they campaigned in Capricornia, the Nationals most marginal seat in parliament.
The prime minister stared political death in the face and lived to tell the tale, after declining to munch on a raw sweet potato.
He was keen to avoid the same fate as his predecessor Tony Abbott, who became the butt of many jokes when he bit into a raw onion, skins and all, last year.
"Want to have a bite, PM," a crowd member taunted as Mr Turnbull inspected the produce.
But his deputy stepped in to protect him.
"You know what eating that is called?" Mr Joyce chimed in. "A possible end to your political career."
There was also another round in the bizarre stoush with Depp.
The Pirates of the Caribbean told a US talk show host Mr Joyce appeared to be "in-bred with a tomato" that threatened to explode.
The minister declared himself Depp's "Hannibal Lecter" getting inside the actor's head.
"Long after I've forgotten about Mr Depp, he's remembering me," Mr Joyce said.
On Depp's marriage break-up, he took a more diplomatic tone saying he would never rejoice in a relationship breakdown.
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