For better and worse, Alan's presence does not do anything other than make itself felt. 'I won't allow politicians on the program to talk nonsense without interrupting them and pointing out to them' ... Radio host Alan Jones. Credit:ABC How pleasant a presence he is for the program's host remains open to question, but one senses that Tony Jones revels in the frisson the Alan aura brings to the panel, being as he is both a rabid conservative on some issues and a dyed-in-the-wool green on others. In addition, he might randomly proclaim familial ties, just to make things interesting. "He's my brother! No one knows that," the 2GB star announced at one point on Monday night.

Then he added of the host: "He thinks I'm his father." 'I'm going to have to interrupt your monologue here' ... Q&A host Tony Jones battled to contain guest Alan Jones. Credit:ABC Tony Jones, father of the program that unwillingly and unwittingly delivered the nation of its most preposterous media scandal in years, took Alan's cheeky claim of bloodlines in good humour, as was wise. When Alan is in full flight, it's best just to let him carry on. And carry on Alan did. As we witnessed back in February, he finds the limitations of shared airtime a challenge. It is normally All Alan, All The Time. What to do with interlopers - such as the equally determined senator from Tasmania Jacqui Lambie, or the veteran but sometimes laborious maker-of-points Tim Fischer? Independent senator for Tasmania Jacqui Lambie had stats of her own on the debate over wind farms. Credit:ABC

Fischer was once the deputy prime minister, and so probably accustomed to what happens when you find yourself on a live broadcast and in disagreement with the multi-millionaire voice of Struggle Street. "Just a minute! Hang on!" Alan harangued Fischer at one point, reminding all present that in the normal run of events an open microphone is open for one reason only: Alan has something to say. This works a treat in his daily radio performance, but in Q&A land there are challengers to be heard. Alan's ability to purse his lips is so well-practised you can actually hear them pursing when he does it on the wireless, but on live TV pursed lips can be met with raised noses. Tony Jones did it: "I'm going to have to interrupt your monologue here." And he did it again: "Alan Jones, sorry, I interrupted your interruption." And the redoubtable Senator Lambie was not to be deterred. Rebuking Alan for one interruption, she even earned an apology: "I'm sorry, Jacqui." Many politicians have died waiting for anything approaching this kind of forbearance from their tormentor.

So who is the real Alan Jones? As ever, we were left none the wiser - neither Labor (represented by Shadow Minister for the Environment, Mark Butler), nor Coalition (represented by nobody, given the continued and absurd abandonment of this platform by the government) could draw much comfort from his remonstrations, rebukes and eccentric exhortations of Jones-style realpolitik. And nor could Alan himself rest easy when the final, Twitter-voted question put him on the spot. "On your program," the questioner asked, "you often abuse, berate and belittle callers with whom you disagree. On Q&A, however, you are reasoned and respectful of the people asking questions - to the extent that I sometimes think you are not as bad as you'd like us to think. Is your radio persona pure entertainment and if so who is the real Alan Jones? And do you believe you are using your platform in a responsible way that encourages constructive debate?" Lips were pursed, pouted and the matter pondered.

Jones: "Well, um, that's an extraordinary…" Lambie, laughing: "Are you an angel or a bad boy?" Jones: "Well Jacqui … I'm a devotee of Sunday school." He continued, to the questioner: "I find that, if I might just say to you, an extraordinary question because you obviously don't listen to my program. I'm not sure anyone listening to this broadcast could cite any listener that I have abused, shouted at or disagreed with. Plenty of politicians but not listeners. Because my task is to invite them to ring. I invite them to ring. It would be an act of abject discourtesy to then abuse them simply because they disagree with me. "And indeed often when they do disagree I shut up, which is a bit unusual for me, and say, 'Is there anything else you want to say?', and give them a chance. So any one who's listened to my program would know that my listeners are my best researchers. I think they are all treated with total courtesy.

"On the other hand, I won't allow politicians on the program to talk nonsense without interrupting them and pointing out to them, what I think is nonsense. So there is a little bit of heat and fire. But it's in relation often to the guest rather than to the audience who ring in." And there it was - unintentionally, but in a nutshell: the Alan Jones defence of not just himself but of the very program he was on. A broadcast, offering people the chance to ask questions and proffer opinions, and with politicians held to account. Read it and weep. Are you listening, prime minister? It's Alan Jones speaking, after all. Tony Jones may not be his brother or his father, but we're sure he would agree.