Radio host Ben Fordham criticized New South Wales Liberal leader Mark Speakman as too “woke” to be on his show, let alone win the next election.
Mr Fordham told Mr Speakman he was not interesting enough to appear regularly on his show after the NSW opposition leader offered to call him every fortnight.
—Do you want to be here every fifteen days? -he asked Mr. Speakman.
The Liberal leader laughed and said: “Yes, if I may.”
Fordham then responded bluntly: “You’ve got to be a little more interesting.”
Speakman appeared on the show Friday to respond to several criticisms.
“I have offered the NSW Liberal leader some feedback and some hard truths about his leadership so far,” Mr Fordham said, introducing Mr Speakman.
“I’ve said he’s a good person, a decent human being, but he’s boring and awake.”
Radio host Ben Fordham (pictured with his wife, journalist Jodie Speers) has told NSW Liberal leader Mark Speakman he is too “boring” and “woke” to win the next election.
Responding to accusations that he is too “woke”, Speakman claimed that he was a “lifelong liberal who had been in the Liberal Party since he was 18”.
‘I’m there not because I’m a port of convenience because of my convictions: I’m committed to individual freedom, I’m committed to family, I’m committed to small business, I’m committed to aspirations and opportunities,’ he said.
“You don’t join the Liberal Party to be leftist.”
Fordham responded to Speakman’s many responses by saying he would lose the 2027 New South Wales state election to Labor leader Chris Minns because he is “boring”.
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to do more if you want to rattle Chris Minns’ cage,” Fordham said.
“Last week I commented that opposition leaders only become well-known when they take risks, when they take a stand on important issues, and when they lead the conversation.”
In response to being told he was not “interesting” enough to appear regularly on Fordham’s show, Speakman claimed that voters were not just interested in showmanship.
Instead, he focused on how his policies as a “mainstream liberal” would help improve the cost of living and housing.
Mr Speakman (pictured) appeared on the show following several criticisms from Fordham, including that he was “boring” and “too woke”.
“Look, if you want me to come with you and tell you some jokes, I can do that,” he said.
‘But I think the people of New South Wales are more interested in balancing their budget at the moment, paying rent and paying interest.
“They are the big problems.”
The two argued over Speakman’s policies, including whether he will support federal Liberal leader Peter Dutton’s nuclear energy plan.
Mr Speakman repeatedly refused to share his approval or disapproval of nuclear power plants in Lithgow and the Hunter Valley, instead telling Fordham: “I support lifting the nuclear ban.”
The Coalition in June outlined plans to build reactors in Hunter Valley and Lithgow in New South Wales, Latrobe Valley in Victoria, Callide and Tarong in Queensland, Port Augusta in South Australia and Collie in Western Australia if voted on.
If the proposal goes ahead, it would be 10 to 12 years before the first reactor is completed, with the rest to be built starting in 2040.
Dutton has previously said that nuclear plants would provide reliable baseload power as coal is phased out, and that renewables would complement that rather than relying on them to provide the bulk of the power supply.