Sponsors walk away from under-fire Jones

Updated

Sponsors are abandoning Alan Jones as the fallout continues over the broadcaster's controversial comments in relation to the Prime Minister's late father.

On Sunday, Jones apologised to Julia Gillard after telling a group of Young Liberals a week ago that her late father died of shame because of what he says are her political lies.

The remarks have prompted senior government ministers to say Sydney radio station 2GB should be reconsidering Jones's employment.

Jones has said 2GB management and his program's advertisers were well aware of his position on political issues and that they were not looking to withdraw their support.

However, by 8pm on Monday more than 56,000 people had signed up to an online campaign targeting companies such as Harvey Norman, Big W and Mercedes-Benz, urging them to boycott 2GB and Jones.

Financial services provider Challenger and Lexus Parramatta joined Freedom Furniture in pulling advertising, saying the company does not support Jones's comments.

Mercedes-Benz too has instructed its dealers to cease any form of advertising on Jones's show.

"Our company does not condone such inappropriate comments," the carmaker said in a statement.

Companies including Coles, ING Direct, Bing Lee, Lite n' Easy and Dilmah have taken similar action.

Supermarket giant Woolworths says while it is not a sponsor, it will suspend its periodic advertising during the program.

Anti-coal seam gas group the Lock the Gate Alliance has also withdrawn an invitation to Jones to speak at a rally in Murwillumbah later this month.

Regional radio station 2QN based in Deniliquin in the New South Wales Riverina has pulled its broadcast of Jones's breakfast show.

2AY in Albury has also decided to axe the program, saying it received an overwhelming number of emails and calls from listeners who were upset by his remarks.

Jones says he did not know his 58-minute, off-the-cuff speech to the gathering of Young Liberals was being recorded.

It took a week for a News Limited journalist to reveal what he had heard.

"The old man died a few weeks ago of shame," Jones told the gathering.

"To think that he had a daughter who told lies every time she stood for Parliament."

In a 45-minute press conference yesterday, the broadcaster apologised, then sought to explain his comments.

"This was a throw-away thing at a private function, which - I thought it was a private function," he said.

"A bit of a smart alec remark, and if I've got to be belted up for it, well so be it."

A spokesman for Ms Gillard says the Prime Minister has declined to take a call from Jones.

'Too far'

I would have thought the broadcasters would be considering whether such a pattern of behaviour is sensible any longer. Nicola Roxon

Attorney-General Nicola Roxon says Jones has gone too far and his employer should be looking at his pattern of behaviour.

"I would have thought the broadcasters would be considering whether such a pattern of behaviour is sensible any longer," Ms Roxon said.

"Of course (his employment) should be considered. It's not the first time Mr Jones has made inappropriate comments."

Fellow Labor frontbencher Craig Emerson says Jones should be taken off the air.

Ms Roxon has not ruled out whether she will accept invitations to appear on his show in the future.

"I will consider those requests when they come in.

"I think the problem if you decide never to go on shows where people disagree with you is their listeners get no choice but to only hear the ranting and raving of one view.

"I've always taken the view that you've got to go and argue the toss."

Advertising commentator Dee Madigan believes the online campaign will force 2GB to take notice.

"It's OK for us all to say he shouldn't say it, but at some point people have to make a move that's going to stop people acting like that, and money talks," she said.

Ms Madigan believes advertisers will withdraw from Jones's show as the petition gains momentum.

But marketing commentator Adam Ferrier says the public vitriol against Jones is stronger than his comments deserve.

"Lots of people have a beef with Alan Jones and it's now an opportunity to hang him out to dry," he said.

While Jones was not on air this morning because of a public holiday in New South Wales, he did manage to get his thoughts published via an opinion piece in the Daily Telegraph.

In his article, Jones repeated his public apology for the offensive remarks but he continued his attack on Ms Gillard.

He said his comments should be condemned, but so too should the "widespread efforts by the Julia Gillard Government and Julia Gillard herself to silence or punish anyone who dares to articulate one political certainty - that this may be the worst and least trustworthy government in Australian history".

Jones also said his comments were secretly recorded by a journalist and questioned whether similar comments made at a Labor function would get the same coverage.

'Right to know'

The journalist who recorded the controversial speech, Jonathan Marshall, has defended his story.

He denies Jones's claims that his speech was made under the convention of Chatham House rules, a principle that allows for the confidentiality of sources of information received at a meeting.

"Even if there were, I think the public interest in this would greatly override any of those concerns," he said.

"I think you've got a group of people, who many of them plan one day to be an MP, there are people in that room who want to be the prime minister and lead this nation.

"None of them got up and left when the comments were made and I think that the public have a right to know what Alan Jones said and that these people who want to lead this country thought it was so appropriate they would remain in the room.

"You'd like to think that most of the people in the room were shocked and gasping but there is lot of laughter."

Two Liberal MPs at the event were Alex Hawke from the outer Sydney seat of Mitchell and Sussan Ley from the regional New South Wales seat of Farrer.

Ms Ley said in a statement she did not hear the "unacceptable" comments until they were reported at the weekend.

Mr Hawke said in a statement that he did not hear the comments either, but said he now had and condemns them "unequivocally".

"I am glad to see Mr Jones has offered a public apology and has also offered the Prime Minister a private apology. This is as it should be," he said.

Labor is linking Jones's comments to Tony Abbott, who has said the remarks were out of line.

"This is actually a sign of what the Liberal Party has slipped to in Australia," Ms Roxon said.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese says Mr Abbott's own comments have sent a signal that encourages vilification of the Prime Minister.

"That there is nothing too low, nothing out of bounds," he said.

Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce says it is not Mr Abbott's position to apologise for another person.

"There are sides to this; one is you shouldn't make the comment, and number two is that you should accept the apology when it's made," Senator Joyce said.

"I'm sure the Prime Minister is of such a character that she's bigger than the comment and she's large enough to, as a person, to accept the apology."

Senator Joyce says he will continue to be a guest on Jones's show.

"This is not about circumventing democracy and saying well therefore you won't go on that show anymore."

Topics: radio-broadcasting, gillard-julia, federal-government, broadcasting, australia, sydney-2000, nsw

First posted