Barnaby Joyce, a Nationals MP, has sparked controversy by likening ballots to bullets during an anti-renewables rally.

At the Lake Illawarra rally, Joyce urged attendees to 'load that magazine' for the upcoming election, suggesting they treat ballot papers as weapons against the government.

Joyce's comments specifically targeted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, whom he called out by name.

His rhetoric, describing voting as 'your greatest weapon' and ballot papers as bullets, has raised significant concerns about the appropriateness of such language in political discourse.

Government MPs expressed outrage, with Health Minister Mark Butler calling for Joyce's dismissal from his position due to the incendiary nature of his remarks.

Albanese condemned Joyce's rhetoric, demanding his resignation from the shadow ministry and emphasizing the inappropriateness of language surrounding political violence.

Labor's Peter Khalil labeled Joyce's metaphor as 'absolutely unacceptable,' urging elected officials to promote unity rather than division.

In response to the backlash, Joyce initially defended his metaphor on a breakfast show, stating that the ballot paper is the weapon people have against politicians.

Following the public outcry, Joyce publicly apologized for his choice of metaphor, stating on Channel 7, 'I apologize for using that metaphor.'

Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley distanced herself from Joyce's comments, acknowledging his colorful language while emphasizing the need for more unifying dialogue in politics.

The incident occurs amid heightened concerns about political violence, with Albanese referencing over 700 reported incidents in the past year.