Dumped shock jock Howard Sattler said he was desperate to continue working in radio, but was considering entering politics by standing against Defence Minister Stephen Smith in the seat of Perth at the forthcoming federal election.

Howard Sattler sacked by 6PR

Mr Smith has refused to appear on Sattler’s show for years due to his on-air behaviour.

Mr Smith said Fairfax radio did the right thing by firing Sattler over such a “disgraceful” interview.

“If Howard had done the decent thing, he would have fallen on his sword first,” he told ABC’s 7.30 WA on Friday.

Mr Smith has held the seat of Perth for Labor since 1993. He won almost 56 per cent of the two-party-preferred vote at the 2010 election.

Sattler was suspended from the Perth airwaves after his Thursday afternoon interview with Prime Minister Julia Gillard in which he asked if her partner, Tim Mathieson, was gay.

Less than 24 hours later, he was sacked from Fairfax-owned Radio 6PR and his regular spot on the Seven Network’s Sunrise program.

Sattler was diagnosed last year with Parkinson’s disease and believes his slurred speech was the real reason he was sacked from the radio.

However, 6PR general manager Martin Boylen rejected the claim.

“That is categorically untrue,” Mr Boylen told Perth Now.

He said Sattler was fired due to his disrespectful and inappropriate questions to the PM.

Sattler said he rejected an offer of six months’ pay to the end of his contract, instead planning to pursue an unfair dismissal claim.

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