Barnaby Joyce calls in Federal Police after pub argument

Barnaby Joyce has claimed he is being stalked as part of ‘dirty’ campaign tactics in the final days of the by-election to retain his NSW seat of New England.

The former deputy Prime Minister admitted he became embroiled in a heated clash with an individual Monday night, even knocking the man’s hat from his head.

The exchange took place at the Graman Hotel near Inverell when Mr Joyce was confronted with accusations about family matters, according to The Northern Daily Leader. 

Barnaby Joyce (pictured) has claimed he is being stalked as part of ‘dirty’ campaign tactics in the final days of the by-election to retain his NSW seat of New England.

‘We had a discussion but I mean, I’m not going to go into it because there’s a whole lot of issues behind that individual,’ Mr Joyce told Fairfax.

‘The campaign is becoming dirty and people are sending people around to stalk you.’

He claimed that the pressure was not coming from the Labor party, but from ‘other people’, with Monday not the only time the man had pursued him. 

‘We’ve had death threats and now we’ve got stalkers,’ Mr Joyce said.

An exchange took place at the Graman Hotel near Inverell (pictured) when Mr Joyce was confronted with accusations about family matters and knocked the man's hat off

An exchange took place at the Graman Hotel near Inverell (pictured) when Mr Joyce was confronted with accusations about family matters and knocked the man’s hat off

The man, who is understood to be linked to a website featuring scandalous material about Mr Joyce, also confronted the Nationals leader in Glenn Innes.

An AFP spokesman told AAP on Tuesday the agency was aware of an incident involving Mr Joyce.

‘The AFP is currently evaluating this matter and, as such, it would not be appropriate to comment further,’ the spokesman said.

The altercation follows an alarming incident where a note and bullet were sent to the politician’s former electorate office in Tamworth. 

Mr Joyce (pictured) was also confronted  by the man in Glenn Innes, with the matter referred to the Australian Federal Police

Mr Joyce (pictured) was also confronted  by the man in Glenn Innes, with the matter referred to the Australian Federal Police

The package reportedly came from someone protesting a billion dollar loan the government is looking at granting Adani. 

The New England by-election is scheduled to take place Saturday, following a High Court ruling about Mr Joyce’s citizenship status. 

The former minister was forced to resign from parliament over his dual New Zealand citizenship and told constituents in a letter last month they would hear ‘a lot of other people — many of whom have nothing to do with our electorate — making all sorts of misleading claims for political purposes’.

‘I don’t care what they say. My job is to look after you first and foremost,’ he wrote. 

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