Recently, at a Young Liberals function, Alan Jones joked about the death of Julia Gillard’s father. It was appalling but — check this — the jokey comment had nothing to do with the feminist movement. However, our self-appointed guardian of the feminist movement, Julia Gillard, was offended. Jones apologised for the remark. Didn’t matter in the slightest. Politically-correct texts and e-mails condemning Mr Jones blitzed newspapers, TV and radio time; sponsors of the Alan Jones program on 2GB were pressured to withdraw their support. But Ms Gillard was on a roll: she turned on Tony Abbott — not Alan Jones — calling Mr Abbott an anti-feminist and mysogynist in spite of evident and abundant proof to the contrary. Apparently, 2GB reported Mr Jones to the News Media Council (NMC) the censorship body set up by Julia Gillard and the ALP for silencing all criticism of the Green Labor Government. Consequently, the NMC ruled that Mr Jones must receive ‘basic journalism training’ within a month (“The Australian”, 19 October, p.5). Nothing like being unable to reply to Ms Gillard from outside parliament, is there?
Let’s get this straight. Alan Jones passed a stupid remark for which he apologised. As a result of that remark, Julia Gillard called Tony Abbott a misogynist — for which she has not apologised. All clear?
Dr Paul Fidlon,
Armidale
