Just in case you’re worried about getting a little too tipsy at your office Christmas party, take solace in the news that a Northern Territory senator was allegedly seen throwing punches at the National Party’s Christmas do.
The office of Barnaby Joyce said that an apology has been made regarding an ‘incident’ at the Nationals Christmas party involving Northern Territory senator Sam McMahon.
The party took place at the Kingston Hotel in Canberra towards the start of the month.
An anonymous witness said the incident occurred as colleagues were putting McMahon in a taxi, according to ABC News.
The witness said they saw McMahon throw several punches towards federal director Jonathon Hawkes.
“The Deputy Prime Minister has been advised that there was an incident at the Christmas party on Thursday night,” a spokesperson for the office of Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said.
“A contrite apology has been given and accepted.
“Both parties have explicitly said they want this to be the end of the issue and, out of respect for them, this will be adhered to by our office.”
According to ABC News, Senator McMahon’s office will not be commenting on the matter.
McMahon is currently in home quarantine in the NT.
The Country Liberal Party (CLP) Senator was elected to the Senate in 2019 after replacing CLP stalwart Nigel Scullion.
Earlier this year McMahon lost a preselection battle to be the CLP’s top Senate candidate at the 2022 federal election.
She lost to Jacinta Price, the former deputy mayor of Alice Springs, who ran as the CLP’s candidate for Lingiari in the 2019 federal election. Price lost against Labor MP Warren Snowdon.
In the week prior to preselections, McMahon denied allegations that she was drunk on the floor of the Senate. The NT senator claimed that the claims were part of a political campaign to undermine her chances in the contest.
Featured image: Sam McMahon with Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg (Facebook/DrSamMcMahon)
