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Malcolm Turnbull clashes with Alan Jones in accusatory radio interview | Malcolm Turnbull clashes with Alan Jones in accusatory radio interview |
(3 months later) | |
Malcolm Turnbull’s stoush with the rightwing megaphone commentators went another round on Thursday morning in a 23-minute interview with Sydney radio announcer Alan Jones in which each accused the other of undermining Tony Abbott. | Malcolm Turnbull’s stoush with the rightwing megaphone commentators went another round on Thursday morning in a 23-minute interview with Sydney radio announcer Alan Jones in which each accused the other of undermining Tony Abbott. |
After an ongoing slanging match with columnist Andrew Bolt, the communications minister did a prearranged interview with Jones, who also saw nefarious intent in Turnbull’s dinner last week with Clive Palmer. | After an ongoing slanging match with columnist Andrew Bolt, the communications minister did a prearranged interview with Jones, who also saw nefarious intent in Turnbull’s dinner last week with Clive Palmer. |
Jones told Turnbull that because he had had dinner with Palmer, a trenchant critic of Abbott, “people” were suggesting that “precisely because you have no hope ever of being the leader again – you have got that into your head, no hope ever – that because of that you are happy to chuck a few bombs around that might blow up Abbott a bit, that is what they are saying.” | Jones told Turnbull that because he had had dinner with Palmer, a trenchant critic of Abbott, “people” were suggesting that “precisely because you have no hope ever of being the leader again – you have got that into your head, no hope ever – that because of that you are happy to chuck a few bombs around that might blow up Abbott a bit, that is what they are saying.” |
Turnbull replied that it was Jones who was undermining the Abbott government and “doing the work of the Labor party”, a charge not usually levelled at the Sydney announcer who is an ardent supporter of the prime minister. | Turnbull replied that it was Jones who was undermining the Abbott government and “doing the work of the Labor party”, a charge not usually levelled at the Sydney announcer who is an ardent supporter of the prime minister. |
“That is what you are saying and that is what Andrew Bolt is saying and it is doing the Labor party’s work,” Turnbull said. | “That is what you are saying and that is what Andrew Bolt is saying and it is doing the Labor party’s work,” Turnbull said. |
“This is the most united, cohesive government we have had in this country for a long time and I think it is just very sad that you and Bolt are doing the work of the Labor party … You are seen by people who are loyal to the Liberal party as undermining Tony Abbott’s government at a time when we are trying to sell a difficult budget … this sort of stuff you are going on about is a distraction, it is a non-issue and I think it is so sad that someone who has put so much effort into supporting Tony Abbott, like you, would not be undermining his government, it’s heartbreaking to listen to you do it.” | “This is the most united, cohesive government we have had in this country for a long time and I think it is just very sad that you and Bolt are doing the work of the Labor party … You are seen by people who are loyal to the Liberal party as undermining Tony Abbott’s government at a time when we are trying to sell a difficult budget … this sort of stuff you are going on about is a distraction, it is a non-issue and I think it is so sad that someone who has put so much effort into supporting Tony Abbott, like you, would not be undermining his government, it’s heartbreaking to listen to you do it.” |
The exchange had started acrimoniously, with Jones’ long introduction quoting critiques of Turnbull by the Australian and Andrew Bolt at length and then opening questions with “Can I begin by asking you if you can say after me this: ‘As a senior member of the Abbott government I want to say here I am totally supportive of the Abbott/Hockey strategy for budget repair’.” | The exchange had started acrimoniously, with Jones’ long introduction quoting critiques of Turnbull by the Australian and Andrew Bolt at length and then opening questions with “Can I begin by asking you if you can say after me this: ‘As a senior member of the Abbott government I want to say here I am totally supportive of the Abbott/Hockey strategy for budget repair’.” |
Turnbull responded “Alan I am not going to take dictation from you” before saying that as a cabinet minister he did, of course, support every element of the budget. | Turnbull responded “Alan I am not going to take dictation from you” before saying that as a cabinet minister he did, of course, support every element of the budget. |
Turnbull said his dinner with Palmer had not been covered by an edict that all budget negotiations should be co-ordinated through the leader of the government in the house, Christopher Pyne, and in the Senate, Eric Abetz, because it had not been a negotiation but rather an impromptu get-together and that “simple arithmetic” dictated that the Liberals were going to have to talk to Palmer in order to secure his party’s Senate votes. | Turnbull said his dinner with Palmer had not been covered by an edict that all budget negotiations should be co-ordinated through the leader of the government in the house, Christopher Pyne, and in the Senate, Eric Abetz, because it had not been a negotiation but rather an impromptu get-together and that “simple arithmetic” dictated that the Liberals were going to have to talk to Palmer in order to secure his party’s Senate votes. |
The long interview was full of tetchy exchanges – “this is the way teams work Malcolm, you are not much good at teams”, said Jones. | The long interview was full of tetchy exchanges – “this is the way teams work Malcolm, you are not much good at teams”, said Jones. |
“The problem with you Alan is you like dishing it out but you don’t like taking it,” said Turnbull. | “The problem with you Alan is you like dishing it out but you don’t like taking it,” said Turnbull. |
“I’ve coached Australia in rugby, if one of my players was seen on the eve of the rugby test was seen ... having dinner, privately inviting to dinner one of the All Blacks, the player would be sent home Malcolm,” said Jones. | |
“Well this is not football,” said Turnbull. | “Well this is not football,” said Turnbull. |
But Jones was somewhat disarmed when he accused Turnbull of doing nothing to defend Abbott’s chief of staff Peta Credlin from Palmer’s widely condemned attack that she would personally benefit from the new paid parental leave scheme – an attack that was factually wrong and particularly hurtful because she had publicly revealed her struggle to become pregnant using IVF. | But Jones was somewhat disarmed when he accused Turnbull of doing nothing to defend Abbott’s chief of staff Peta Credlin from Palmer’s widely condemned attack that she would personally benefit from the new paid parental leave scheme – an attack that was factually wrong and particularly hurtful because she had publicly revealed her struggle to become pregnant using IVF. |
Turnbull revealed he had quickly sent a message to Palmer that he should “man up and apologise” and also called him to deliver the same message “in no uncertain terms” and that when he had been asked to write an opinion piece for a newspaper on the subject, he had asked Credlin’s view before declining, because his primary motivation had been to spare her any further pain. | Turnbull revealed he had quickly sent a message to Palmer that he should “man up and apologise” and also called him to deliver the same message “in no uncertain terms” and that when he had been asked to write an opinion piece for a newspaper on the subject, he had asked Credlin’s view before declining, because his primary motivation had been to spare her any further pain. |
Abbott and senior ministers have sought to defuse the distracting attacks by rightwing columnists over the Turnbull/Palmer dinner, and during the Thursday exchange Jones revealed that Abbott had sought to play the incident down when he and Jones had discussed it on the phone. | Abbott and senior ministers have sought to defuse the distracting attacks by rightwing columnists over the Turnbull/Palmer dinner, and during the Thursday exchange Jones revealed that Abbott had sought to play the incident down when he and Jones had discussed it on the phone. |
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