Photographer accuses Barnaby Joyce of threatening to punch him during altercation outside church

Barnaby Joyce may be reported to police over an extraordinary altercation with a photographer outside a church.

Barnaby Joyce filmed an altercation with the unnamed man after he tried to take his photo outside church.

The employers of a photographer who accused Barnaby Joyce of sizing him up to punch him in an extraordinary altercation outside an Armidale church are considering filing a police report.

The former deputy prime minister this morning took to Twitter to post footage of the run-in between him and the photographer, who has been identified as Matrix Picture Agency employee Guy Finlay.

The Australian understands Matrix are considering whether to file a police report.

Mr Joyce is currently on medical leave, following a public backlash over his decision to accept $150,000 from the Seven Network for a television interview with his media adviser-turned-partner Vikki Campion.

Mr Joyce defended the interview, which screened last Sunday, saying the money would go into a trust for their baby son, Sebastian.

This morning he posted two videos of Mr Finlay in an Armidale street.

“We did the Sunday program to stop this, this is why we need a tort of privacy,” Mr Joyce posted alongside the first video, which showed him repeatedly asking Mr Finlay for his name.

Alongside the second video, Mr Joyce posted the caption: “Coming out of church, guess who is hiding in the bushes taking photos, yet won’t give his name or who he works for.”

“Why do you keep following me around?” Mr Joyce asked in the video.

“Well it’s our job,” Mr Finlay said.

“Who do you work for?” Mr Joyce asked.

“How can you seriously come out of church and size someone up to punch them,” Mr Finlay replied.

“I didn’t size you up to punch you,” Mr Joyce said.

“Yes you did. You pulled your right hand back and if I hadn’t actually walked away you would have clubbed me,” Mr Finlay said, before telling Mr Joyce to “Go back to your regular job as a bouncer. Seriously.”

Mr Joyce worked as a bouncer at Armidale’s Wicklow Hotel during his university days.

The former Nationals leader repeatedly asked the photographer for his name.

“Seriously, Barnaby, that’s ridiculous what you just did,” Mr Finlay said, before turning to a group which included Ms Campion, who had Sebastian in a pram, an elderly woman, and a man.

“He’s just come out of church, and he’s sized me up,” Mr Finlay said to the group.

“You’re hiding behind a tree like a rotten snake, mate. Leave us alone,” the male churchgoer said..

“I’m standing in the park,” Mr Finlay said, before Mr Joyce interjected: “Why are you doing that?”

“Leave the bloke alone. Can’t he just come to church to pray to God?” the man said.

“He can. He can, absolutely. But he’s walked outside now and he’s basically come and threatened me,” Mr Finlay said.

“No one thinks I threatened you at all,” Mr Joyce said.

“No one thinks they did, but you and I both know that you did,” Mr Finlay said.

“Rubbish. What’s your name? Give us your name,” Mr Joyce said.

“You can’t be that upset about what your name is. What’s your name? What is your name?”

“Why do I have to tell you? I don’t have to identify myself to you,” Mr Finlay said.

“Look seriously, I kept my distance, you know, and basically you’ve come over and decided you’re going to clock me.”

“No I didn’t, at all. I didn’t at all,” Mr Joyce said.

Coming out of church, guess who is hiding in the bushes taking photos, yet won’t give his name or who he works for pic.twitter.com/YNi4hRj4qU

— Barnaby Joyce (@Barnaby_Joyce) June 10, 2018

Coming out of church, guess who is hiding in the bushes taking photos, yet won’t give his name or who he works for pic.twitter.com/YNi4hRj4qU

— Barnaby Joyce (@Barnaby_Joyce) June 10, 2018