Fiery moment climate change protester on a hunger strike loses it and walks out on interview after...
A climate action hunger striker has abruptly ended a heated TV interview and accused the host Andrew Bolt of trying to 'bully' him. Gregory Andrews, a former high-level Australian diplomat, is staging a hunger strike on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra and says he will starve himself until the Albanese government provides a timeline to end the export of . The interview on Wednesday night's show The Bolt Report quickly turned into an angry confrontation. 'I wish you had better manners. You are rude. Bye-bye,' Mr Andrews said as he ripped off his microphone, terminating the exchange. 'I wish you had more sense, to be honest. I wish you were a better parent,' Mr Bolt replied as his guest stormed out. Mr Bolt accused Mr Andrews of unnecessarily scaring his daughter by saying his protest was so she 'could have a future' and live on a 'safe planet'. Mr Andrews said his daughter went to the same Canberra high school that Finance Minister Katy Gallagher attended. 'Katy Gallagher sits in Parliament House behind me, and she approves fossil fuel subsidies that are destroying the future of our children and destroying our national security,' Mr Andrews said. Mr Bolt shook his head during the answer and muttered: 'Oh that's sad.' 'That kind of alarmism, you're freaking daughter out by suggesting she doesn't have a future,' Mr Bolt said. 'Andrew, you don't know what my daughter thinks. My daughter is with me 100 per cent. She wants a future, she wants to live,' Mr Andrews replied. 'If you keep going this way you've got only two weeks to live with this stupid idea that your daughter hasn't got a future,' Bolt said. 'You are betraying her. You are betraying her double if you keep going with this.' Earlier the host had told Mr Andrews his actions were futile, as government policy cannot be reversed that quickly. 'It would devastate the economy, it would devastate the federal budget'. Mr Andrews attempted to make a point in response but neither man stopped to listen. 'If you don't mind being a bit to fair to me I am on a hunger strike for...' he said 'I am trying to answer the question but you keep interrupting me. 'I'd like you to show me some respect I've starved myself seven weeks and you are bullying...' 'Let me ask the question. I haven't asked it yet Let me ask it,' Mr Bolt snapped. 'You are being rude. At the moment you are shouting at me,' Mr Andrews shot back. 'They (the federal government) cannot do what you want,' Bolt insisted. 'A lot of Australians will suffer, you will be dead in a couple of weeks.' 'I have not said the Australian government needs to phase out fossil fuel exports in the next two weeks,' Mr Andrews replied. 'What I am saying is we need a hard and real commitment from the Albanese government to break free of its fossil fuel addiction. I am doing that for my children and I am doing that for my country.' Mr Andrews has worked with the government for more than 30 years, including as an ambassador to West Africa, the nation's first threatened species commissioner and as Australia's deputy chief climate negotiator at the . He said he'd and is determined to abstain from food until at least December 13 in the hope Australia will ramp up action before the UN's COP 28 climate talks in Dubai. Independent senator David Pocock has visited Mr Andrews on the lawns, as have staffers of other politicians.