Booker winner Richard Flanagan flogs opinions as well as books

By Susan Wyndham
Updated October 29 2014 - 10:33am, first published October 18 2014 - 12:15am
Outspoken: Richard Flanagan did not hold back in his criticism of the federal government. Photo: Rodger Cummins
Outspoken: Richard Flanagan did not hold back in his criticism of the federal government. Photo: Rodger Cummins
Outspoken: Richard Flanagan did not hold back in his criticism of the federal government. Photo: Rodger Cummins
Outspoken: Richard Flanagan did not hold back in his criticism of the federal government. Photo: Rodger Cummins
Outspoken: Richard Flanagan did not hold back in his criticism of the federal government. Photo: Rodger Cummins
Outspoken: Richard Flanagan did not hold back in his criticism of the federal government. Photo: Rodger Cummins
Outspoken: Richard Flanagan did not hold back in his criticism of the federal government. Photo: Rodger Cummins
Outspoken: Richard Flanagan did not hold back in his criticism of the federal government. Photo: Rodger Cummins

Within minutes of being named winner of the Man Booker Prize in London on Wednesday, Richard Flanagan was asked to comment on the Australian government's environmental and energy policies and told the BBC he was "ashamed to be Australian when you bring this up".