'What does this bloke have to do to lose his job?': PM calls for Joyce to be sacked after 'bullet' comment

The prime minister has urged for Joyce to be sacked from the shadow ministry after an analogy he made between ballot papers and bullets at a rally on Sunday.

MP Barnaby Joyce apologised for using a bullet metaphor during a rally on Sunday. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas / Lukas Coch

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged Barnaby Joyce to resign from the shadow ministry, after the Nationals MP called people to use ballot papers as bullets.

Speaking at a rally against a wind farm on Sunday, Joyce urged attendees to "load that magazine" when voters head to the ballot box, as a protest against Albanese and Energy Minister Chris Bowen.

"The bullet you have is a little piece of paper, it goes in the magazine called the voting box. It's coming up. Get ready to load that magazine," he said.

"So goodbye Chris ... goodbye Albo."

Albanese said the rhetoric on political violence had no place, particularly after the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump.

"Barnaby Joyce should go. This is the sort of language which has no place in any part of Australian society, let alone in public life," he told Sky News on Monday.

"To use a gun analogy at a time when the AFP commissioner has warned that there have been over 700 threats or harassments of members of parliament in the last year is just completely unacceptable.

"What does this bloke have to do to lose his job? We've seen other incidents involving Barnaby Joyce which should have cost him his jobs in recent months and over a period of time."

Through a post on his X account, Minister Chris Bowen described Joyce's language as "violent" and "inflammatory", and added that his resignation would be the appropriate course of action.

Joyce apologises for the remark

On Monday, Joyce walked back the comparison.

"The ballot paper is the weapon you have. It shouldn't be a bullet. It should be a ballot paper," he told Seven's Sunrise program.

"I apologise for using that metaphor."

Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley said while Joyce was known to use colourful language, she would not have used the comparison to bullets.

"When it comes to promoting social cohesion, everyone in their language and their words should be lifting the debate to what brings people together, not what pushes people apart," she told ABC Radio.

"I'm not going to go that far (to condemn the comments). I'm just saying it's not language I would have used."