The pro-gun politician told his followers it was "open season" on writer Tory Shepherd.

Senator David Leyonhjelm is a big, big fan of free speech. Specifically, he’s a big fan of the freedom it affords him to behave like a total tosspot on social media. He won’t mind that I said that, because I’m just exercising my free speech.

The Liberal Democrat, who you may remember from the time he lodged a race hate complaint after being called an angry white male, or that time he said the Sydney siege might not have happened if some of the hostages had been allowed to carry guns, has again become the subject of controversy after tweeting that it was “open season” on South Australian journalist Tory Shepherd.

Be warned @ToryShepherd – you're open season. A photo of you even scratching your balls will go viral. https://t.co/RqSTPjc9PU — David Leyonhjelm (@DavidLeyonhjelm) December 29, 2016

Leyonhjelm issued the tweet yesterday after discovering an article Shepherd wrote earlier this month for The Advertiser about the Senator’s description of the South Australian government as “an obese 40-year-old-man with awful body odour who lives with his mother, refuses to work, and plays Xbox all day.” Shepherd’s article ran with a subheading that described Leyonhjelm as “a bald kook who is all alone in Canberra”, as well as an unflattering photo of him yawning on the floor of the senate.

It was the photo, in particular, that got Leyonhjelm in a tizzy. In his social media missive to Shepherd, he warned that “a photo of you even scratching your balls will go viral now” – seriously overestimating his ability to send things “viral” while also failing to realise that Shepherd is a woman.

Speaking to The Advertiser today, Leyonhjelm refused to clarify what he meant by either remark, although given the fact that he is stridently pro-gun, some have interpreted the “open season” comment as a threat of violence.

If anyone on twitter posted to me: "be warned you're open season"

I'd be worried for my & family personal safety.

This is not "banter" — Wendy Harmer (@wendy_harmer) December 29, 2016

Shepherd, for her part, appears to have taken it all in her stride, tweeting a number of photos of her scratching her balls…

…while also pointed out that members of The Advertiser‘s online team, not writers, are responsible for choosing the photos that accompany stories published on their website.