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| Alan Jones apologises for latest Julia Gillard tirade | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Public anger has triggered an advertising backlash in Australia over comments by the country's best-known radio talkshow host that Julia Gillard's father, who died last month, had died "of shame". | Public anger has triggered an advertising backlash in Australia over comments by the country's best-known radio talkshow host that Julia Gillard's father, who died last month, had died "of shame". |
| Alan Jones, who has a history of criticising the prime minister, told a Sydney University Young Liberals dinner last week that "every person in the caucus of the Labor party knows that Julia Gillard is a liar … The old man recently died a few weeks ago of shame. To think that he had a daughter who told lies every time she stood for [sic] parliament." | |
| In his tirade, Jones accused the conservative opposition party of being soft on the prime minister because she was a woman. "They've been brainwashed by the media to 'Oh … back off, she's a woman, go easy.'" | |
| His comments follow other recent on-air criticism of Gillard in which Jones accused her and other women in powerful positions of "destroying the joint". This provoked a social media campaign calling on sponsors of his high-rating radio programme to pull out. | His comments follow other recent on-air criticism of Gillard in which Jones accused her and other women in powerful positions of "destroying the joint". This provoked a social media campaign calling on sponsors of his high-rating radio programme to pull out. |
| A number of companies confirmed they were backing away from the presenter. Mercedes-Benz said it was withdrawing all Jones-related advertising and marketing. An investment management company, Challenger, and a furniture manufacturer confirmed they had pulled advertising from the programme on Sydney radio station 2GB. Freedom Furniture tweeted: "You spoke, we listened. We do not support the comments made by Alan Jones. We have pulled our advertising off air." | |
| During his speech at Sydney University, Jones said Gillard's recent improvement in opinion polls were the result of her tears. "Of course she's ahead in preferred prime minister [polls]," he said. "She cries because her father died, she's on the news every day." | |
| Two weeks ago in parliament, Gillard choked back tears as she paid tribute to her 83-year-old father, who had brought the family to Australia from Wales when she was a child. She said her father had "felt more deeply than me … some of the personal attacks we face in the business of politics, but I was able to reassure him that he had raised a daughter with sufficient strength not to let that get her down". | Two weeks ago in parliament, Gillard choked back tears as she paid tribute to her 83-year-old father, who had brought the family to Australia from Wales when she was a child. She said her father had "felt more deeply than me … some of the personal attacks we face in the business of politics, but I was able to reassure him that he had raised a daughter with sufficient strength not to let that get her down". |
| The attorney general, Nicola Roxon, said Jones had gone too far. "Of course [his employment] should be considered. It's not the first time Mr Jones has made inappropriate comments." | |
| The former prime minister Kevin Rudd, whom Gillard succeeded two years ago, described Jones's comments as "the lowest of the low". | The former prime minister Kevin Rudd, whom Gillard succeeded two years ago, described Jones's comments as "the lowest of the low". |
| Jones publicly apologised on Sunday and tried, unsuccessfully, to speak to the prime minister. "This was a throwaway thing at a private function, which I thought was a private function," he told a press conference. "The comments were, in the light of everything, unacceptable. They merit an apology by me." | Jones publicly apologised on Sunday and tried, unsuccessfully, to speak to the prime minister. "This was a throwaway thing at a private function, which I thought was a private function," he told a press conference. "The comments were, in the light of everything, unacceptable. They merit an apology by me." |
| As well as making a speech at the Young Liberals dinner, Jones autographed a jacket made of "chaff bag" material, which was auctioned. It was a reference to repeated calls on his radio programme that Gillard be put into a sack and dumped at sea. | As well as making a speech at the Young Liberals dinner, Jones autographed a jacket made of "chaff bag" material, which was auctioned. It was a reference to repeated calls on his radio programme that Gillard be put into a sack and dumped at sea. |
| More than 27,000 people have signed an online petition calling for sponsors of Jones's radio programme to withdraw their support. | More than 27,000 people have signed an online petition calling for sponsors of Jones's radio programme to withdraw their support. |