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| Alan Jones apologises for latest Julia Gillard tirade | Alan Jones apologises for latest Julia Gillard tirade |
| (7 days later) | |
| Public anger has triggered an advertising backlash in Australia after the country's best-known radio talkshow host said the Australian prime minister's father, who died last month, had died "of shame". | Public anger has triggered an advertising backlash in Australia after the country's best-known radio talkshow host said the Australian prime minister'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 Liberal club 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." | Alan Jones, who has a history of criticising the prime minister, told a Sydney University Liberal club 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.'" | 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, below, 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, below, 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 also 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." | 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 also 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." |
| 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." |
| During his speech at a Sydney restaurant, 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." | During his speech at a Sydney restaurant, 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". |
| 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. |
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