'Wasn't expecting this': Barnaby Joyce pauses media address as nose starts bleeding
Barnaby Joyce was forced to pause a media address to clean himself up after he suffered a nose bleed while on stage at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday afternoon.
The deputy prime minister was being questioned by Greg Brown from The Australian over climate change disagreements between the Nationals and Liberals and a prospective coal fired power station in Queensland when blood started dripping from his nose.
“Don’t you love it when you get a bleeding nose in the Press Club?” Mr Joyce jokingly responded before continuing to answer questions.
After he wrapped up his answer, ABC journalist and Press Club host Jane Norman interrupted.
"I might pause because Mr Joyce, I apologise, you are on stage with a blood nose," Ms Norman said as the Nationals leader sniffed and wiped his nose.
"Here are some tissues if you like to just move away for a moment."
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'Politics is a blood sport'
As Ms Norman announced the brief interlude, Mr Joyce stepped to the side of the stage where he was brought tissues.
"Sorry about that fellas," the deputy PM could be heard saying.
"I don't know what's going on."
As he returned to the stage a moment later, he promised to persevere – saying the alternative is leaving the Press Club.
The blood nose didn't stop Mr Joyce from continuing to answer a few final questions.
"Politics is a blood sport but I wasn't quite expecting this," Australian Financial Review journalist Jacob Greber joked.
Barnaby Joyce has started bleeding from the nose while on stage talking at the Nat Press Club! Shows the amount of stress he's under & his extreme blood pressure! He'll end up with a stroke.
— GailT (@GBTSocScientist) May 11, 2022
Social media users express concern online
Social media users noticed the bleed, taking to Twitter to express some concern over his health.
"If I was Barnaby I’d get my blood pressure checked," one user suggested.
"My mother in law had a bleeding nose and then died of a cerebral haemorrhage during the following night," another viewer said.
"Barnaby Joyce should see a doctor asap. High blood pressure?"
Please. Barnaby Joyce aint no hero for speaking with a blood nose. I watched the whole thing and was bleeding from both eyes. #NPC #auspoI
— Pat McCaffrie (@PatMcCaffrie) May 11, 2022
"Shows the amount of stress he's under and his extreme blood pressure!" another tweeted.
"He'll end up with a stroke."
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