Alan Jones has slammed claims that say he has an issue with women and isn’t concerned if his advertisers decide to take a hike.
Multiple businesses have separated themselves from the breakfast radio show on 2GB after the derogatory comments he made about New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. The latest company to withdraw their support was Chemist Warehouse.
Speaking to Nine News today, Jones said those who chose to walk away are able to make their own judgement, and that he has nothing to say on the matter.
“But if they go, they’ll be others to take their place,” he said.
When asked to address the claims saying he has a problem with women, Jones said “I think you better ask women that”, revealing that over the past 48 hours, many women wrote letters of support and thanked him for helping them in the past.
He also said he was now the victim of a vicious social media campaign.
“It seems to be OK that you can in social media, about Alan Jones, say that we should kill him,” he said. “The language used about me is just extraordinary.”
The 78-year-old said that his comments about Ardern saying that Scott Morrison should “shove a sock down her throat” were “metaphorical comments” but “if I give offence, I always apologise for that.”
Earlier, Ardern responded with a snappy comeback of her own when asked to address the incident.
“I don’t have an opinion on every single person who says something about me. Particularly given this is an Australian commentator, we’ve got enough of our own to occupy my time,” she told NZ morning news and talk show The AM Show.
But she then proceeded to deliver a slight jab as she said that her response may be best delivered on the rugby field, pointing to Jones’ past as a coach of the Wallabies from 1984 to 1988.
“I understand that (Jones) of course used to be closely linked to the Wallabies … let’s just say that I think revenge is best served through a Bledisloe Cup,” said Ardern.
She refused to give her opinion on whether or not Jones should be sacked for his comments, saying, “it’s a matter for across the ditch”.
“I am a politician, I am open for criticism and, of course, we should all be held to account and the idea that any politician could or should be protected, I absolutely rally against that.
“You should see my social media. We sign up for that when we are politicians. I have tried very hard, specifically on this Alan Jones comment, you won’t find me having particularly reacted or responded.”
