Film director Werner Herzog once ate his own shoe after losing a bet. Australian MP Kyle McGinn didn't go quite that far that week, but what he did do during his final speech in Parliament definitely involved a shoe, and his antics have now gone viral. News.com.au reports that on Wednesday, during McGinn's farewell address to his colleagues after serving two terms, the Western Australia politician noted that he'd thought "long and hard" about his exit, and that once he came up with his plan, he knew his mining constituents would be "particularly appreciative."
"There was only one way to do it, and I'm used to getting told off, so we might as well get this over and done with," he said, announcing "Cheers!" before taking a shoe and can of beer out, pouring the beer into said shoe, and drinking it (check out his speech and beer pour here, starting at 55:45; see an actual photo of him swigging from his footwear here). The room erupted in gasps and laughter, as Legislative Council President Alanna Clohesy demanded order in the room.
"The honorable Kyle McGinn will take his seat—NOW!" Clohesy admonished, with widening eyes and a look that made it hard to tell if she was amused herself. Applause followed her remarks. The Conversation, meanwhile, dives more into the "shoey," a celebratory practice that appears to have originated in Europe but that's taken hold Down Under as an act of "defiance" and "claiming victory against the odds."
story continues below
McGinn, for his part, later explained why he'd gone with this stunt. "Parliament can often seem inaccessible," he told 6PR on Thursday morning, per News.com.au. "I know when I first went into Parliament, I thought it was just about politicians, but there are normal people up there." He added: "Sometimes you just celebrate your own way, and that has been me the whole way through." (More Australia stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
