Nine News legend Laurie Oakes denounced Alan Jones as “a maggot” and “a very strange guy” in a fiery confrontation with Karl Stefanovic, before the breakfast show host was forced to defend his friendship with the athlete plagued by scandals.
Oakes’ comments came during a heated interview on Nine’s Today show in 2012 following revelations that Jones made derogatory comments about then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s late father, John, at a Young Liberals dinner.
“The old man recently died a few weeks ago of shame,” Jones told the Sydney University Liberal Club in a keynote address at the September function.
“To think I had a daughter who told lies every time she stood in parliament.”
The clip resurfaced online this week after Jones was charged with a series of historic sex offenses on Monday following allegations he abused his position of power as a top radio host to prey on young men.
The footage began with Stefanovic saying Jones had been “seriously wrong” when he made the nasty comments before turning to Oakes for comment after pointing out that Jones “won’t be fired though.”
“No, they won’t fire him because he owns a large part of the company that employs him, Karl, and anyway, look, he didn’t say this on the radio,” Oakes responded.
‘It’s not about whether he should be fired. It’s about whether what you did was appropriate.
A video has resurfaced of Nine News legend Laurie Oakes slamming sportsman Alan Jones and labeling him “a meal” for his nasty comments about Julia Gillard’s late father.
Oakes made the comments during a heated interview with the Today show’s Karl Stefanovic.
‘And I guess it’s also about whether people want to listen to your show. I mean, I find it hard to watch people approach him without first covering their nose with a clothespin.
Stefanovic then suggested that Jones’ ratings actually had a habit of going up whenever he made outrageous or inappropriate comments, only for Oakes to respond by saying that “it doesn’t say much for the audience, let alone for Alan Jones.”
“I mean Alan Jones has done this kind of thing before,” Oakes continued.
“He talked about putting Julia Gillard in a garbage bag and then throwing her into the sea, and he apologized.
“That shows what an apology from Jones is worth.
‘And his excuse for that comment, his excuse for the straw bag line was, ‘I didn’t say, leave it in the ocean.’ I said, put her out there and let her swim home.
‘Well, that’s fantastic, isn’t it?
‘And then we had the recent statement, talking about Julia Gillard and Clover Moore (Mayor of Sydney), and other women in politics, when she said: ‘women are destroying the joint.’
“I mean, he’s a very strange guy.”
The images resurfaced after former radio host Alan Jones was charged with a series of historic sex offenses on Monday.
Oakes becomes visibly agitated as the interview continues.
“What Alan Jones did was use the death of a father to score a political point; as far as I’m concerned, that’s just the definition of food,” he said.
Oakes also criticized then Opposition Leader Tony Abbott for not punishing his “mate” Jones and warns the then Opposition Leader that he should “distance himself” from the shock jock.
“Malcolm Turnbull was there very early in the morning saying this was a disgusting comment from Alan Jones,” he said.
“Tony Abbott waits and then issues a press release saying ‘Alan’ (using the name to show which colleagues they are) ‘Alan has behaved… his comments are out of line.’
“Everyone else says it’s disgusting, beyond acceptable, offensive – to Tony Abbott, it’s ‘out of line’.”
“I think Tony Abbott needs to distance himself more from Alan Jones, but he won’t, because Alan Jones… is a good weapon.
Alan Jones had previously apologized for saying then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard (pictured) should be thrown into the sea in a garbage bag.
“When Tony Abbott goes on the Alan Jones show, it’s not an interview: it’s Alan Jones making statements and Tony Abbott agrees with him.
‘It’s almost a training session. So no, Tony Abbott won’t distance himself.
‘But I think this is difficult for the Liberal Party, because the Liberals organized this function.
‘The Sydney University Liberal Club is part of the Liberal Party.
“The organizers auctioned off a straw jacket, so much for the Joneses’ apologies. Alan Jones had signed it and made the highest bid for it.”
As Stefanovic tries to suppress Oakes’ anger, he comments: “You don’t have much time for Alan Jones, do you?”
Oakes replies, “Well, after this, Karl, will you do it?”
Baffled, Stefanvoic stumbles and stutters before revealing his relationship with Jones, using the exact same line Oakes had just eviscerated Abbott.
“I think it’s a very difficult situation and I think, well… I will declare, I will declare that yes, I am friends with Alan Jones,” Stefanovic said.
“But as for his comments yesterday, I think they were out of line.”
Oakes replied: “Ah, the Tony Abbott line.”