DJ forced to apologise for Gillard remarks

A RADIO “shock jock” in Australia has been forced to apologise after claiming Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s Welsh father “died of shame” because his daughter continually lied in parliament.

Outspoken commentator Alan Jones told a group of Young Liberals that John Gillard’s death was the fault of his proud child. Mr Gillard, a former psychiatric nurse, died in Adelaide on 8 September, aged 83, after a long illness.

After referring to Ms Gillard’s track record with telling the truth to voters, commercial broadcaster Jones said her father’s death was caused by the Prime Minister herself.

“The old man died a few weeks ago of shame,” Mr Jones told a group of opposition Liberal party members and MPs at the annual $100-per-head Sydney University Liberal Club president’s dinner.

“To think that he had a daughter who told lies every time she stood for parliament. Every person in the caucus of the Labour Party knows that Julia Gillard is a liar.”

Some members of the audience gasped with surprise.

The radio star went on to say Ms Gillard had enjoyed a recent spike in polls sparked by her tears in parliament over her father’s death.

But, unknown to Jones and the organisers, a journalist from Sydney’s Sunday Telegraph, who had purchased a ticket, was present at the dinner.

The comments have now been roundly condemned by all parties. By yesterday, Jones was forced to publicly recognise what he said was shameful.

“The comments were, in the light of everything, unacceptable,” Alan Jones told a press conference in Sydney. Avoiding the actual word “sorry”, Jones added: “They merit an apology by me.”