Alan Jones mentions Gallipoli and the world keeps spinning

The attention-deprived brown and stinking bubbles frothing back up through the drain that Alan Jones is supposed to have been circling since the Cronulla riots have again burst and belched as loud as ever, releasing more toxic gas into our already noxious media.

During a recent 58-minute speech at a Sydney University Liberal Club President’s dinner at the Rocks, Jones continued with his never-ending tirade against the prime minister. This time, he went all out, stating that John Gillard, the Prime Minister’s very proud and close father, “died a few weeks ago of shame”.

Should we really be surprised? We should be ashamed, ashamed that this guy is so influential in the Australian media, but not surprised.

After telling the Australian public earlier in the year that he would like to put Gillard “into a chaff bag and hoist her into the Tasman Sea,” that we should “bring back the guillotine,” to deal with her, and that across the country “women are wrecking the joint”, Jones is out proving himself just as offensive as ever.

He attributed Gillard’s emotional response to the news of her dead father, whom she publicly said she “will miss for the rest of my life”, were what promulgated a polling boost for her party.

The University of Sydney’s Young Liberals page tweeted the next day, “Brilliant speech by Alan Jones last night. It’s no wonder he’s the nation’s most influential broadcaster!” The dinner also featured an auction with items that included a jacket made of chaff bags autographed by Jones, an auction which he won but later said had not been his idea.

This is the same Alan Jones who incited violence on the day of the Cronulla riots, calling upon white Australia to ‘defend our beaches’. Yes, the same Alan Jones who was arrested for having oral sex with another gentleman in a public toilet in the UK (not that I am condemning this behaviour in itself). The same Alan Jones who has one of the highest listenerships on Sydney morning radio.

On Monday he held a press conference in which he apologised for repeating the statement regarding Gillard’s father, a statement which he’d apparently not coined himself but rather heard someone say at his godson’s birthday earlier that day, as well as divulging a litany of other mitigating circumstances.

He said that the comment was similar to “black-humoured comments” made in the trenches of Gallipoli. And he continued to peacock via subtext throughout the apology, showing his true colours with excuses like “It was a throw-away thing at a private function – I thought it was a private function.” “I spoke without notes for 58 minutes, I’ve no idea of the material I covered”.

He said he was only drinking water all night. I don’t know if that makes things better or worse…

“There are days when you just have to concede and man up and say ‘you got it wrong,’” Mr Jones told reporters at 2GB headquarters this morning.

“And on this instance these are remarks which I should not have repeated. It was wrong to offer any impression that I might seem to diminish the grief that a daughter would feel for her father. I was taught by my father that if you are going to eat crow you should eat it while it’s hot and therefore I felt this matter should be addressed today.”

Opposition leader Tony Abbott stated this morning that “Alan’s remarks regarding the PM were completely out of line… It’s good that he’s recognised this and apologised for them.”

Alan Jones is a journalist, and knows all too well that any publicity is good publicity. Those who already hated him, now just hate him more. Those who were indifferent to his nonsense remain indifferent to his nonsense.

Those who want this government replaced will continue to listen to this hair-brained menace’s poisonous vitriol, and I can’t help but wonder if Jones is apologising for saying what he said, apologising for letting the crow go cold, or just apologising for being heard by the wrong pair of ears…

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