SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Vic premier says sorry for MP fat joke

Victoria's premier Daniel Andrews has apologised to an opposition MP for making a joke about his weight in parliament.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews arrives at Victorian Parliment in Melbourne, Thursday, April 14, 2016. Source: AAP

2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Skip to article content

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has personally apologised to a Liberal MP after making a fat joke about him.

When Liberal MP Andrew Katos got up to speak in parliament on Tuesday, Mr Andrews said it was the first time no one had seen him coming - a reference to Mr Katos' weight.

"Fair cop, I shouldn't have said it, and I apologise," Mr Andrews told reporters on Wednesday.

After Mr Katos said he wanted a personal apology, not an apology through the media, Mr Andrews found him in parliament to say sorry.

"I thank the premier for his apology and hope he understands that preaching about respect and anti-bullying means little if he fails to lead by example," Mr Katos said.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

"We should be debating the serious issues of Victoria, not jibing each other about one's appearance or height or hair colour or ethnicity or race or whatever it might be."

Mr Andrews has also regularly called Opposition Leader Matthew Guy - who is about 173cm tall - "my little friend" or "that little man".

In turn, Mr Guy has sometimes referred to the height of Deputy Premier James Merlino, who is shorter than he is.

"There's many things that are said in parliament, and sometimes it can be a bit of a bear pit, in relation to what was said yesterday, it's a fair cop. I shouldn't have said it," Mr Andrews said.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world