In a fiery on-air tirade, Alan Jones has slammed Australia’s leaders as a “disgrace” and called for a suspension for all political salaries until the nation stops enforcing mandatory snap lockdowns. The controversial Sky News host went on to label New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s latest lockdown “gutless” and “fear peddling”.
Jones is reknowned for speaking his mind and certainly didn’t hold back on Wednesday following Berejiklian’s announcement that residents in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and the Shellharbour region would remain in lockdown for an additional week. The Sydney region recorded a further 27 new locally-acquired cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number to 350, resulting in an extension that will see all residents of NSW living under some form of restrictions until at least July 16.
Taking aim at Berejiklian, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, Jones demanded action, saying the only solution was to “suspend all political salaries until the lockdown ends”.
“While we let them keep going they will continue on their power surge and we will pay,” he said. “The government might listen to bureaucrats but they don’t listen to those who pay their bloated salaries. Politicians better understand, those of us who give a voice to the voiceless are not going to fall into line just because you’re Mr Prime Minister or Ms Premier.”
After boasting in May that NSW had put systems in place to ensure there would never be a lockdown again, Berejiklian’s announcement seemed to be a complete backflip, with Jones slamming the extension “nothing short of a disgrace”.
“While we have to suffer this idiocy, this inaccuracy, dishonesty, unscientific pronouncements everyday, Gladys Berejiklian forfeits the right to lead and to run the state,” he said. “When she talks about the Delta strain being a game changer, she’s placing alarmism over truth. You’re not telling the truth and it’s contemptible behaviour.
“Gladys Berejiklian has lost the right to govern and to be believed. Her performance today was nothing short of a disgrace. Not just that, more than five million Sydneysiders will remain in lockdown for yet another week. But it was gutless stuff. Leak it to the media first, of course – not to this news outlet [Sky News] – only to her sympathetic left-wing media mates.
“Then thanking everyone for calling Crime Stoppers and dobbing one another in. That’s appalling stuff.”
Jones accused the NSW Premier of fear-pedalling, arguing that the 705 influenza deaths in 2019 out of 300,000 cases were comparable to 910 coronavirus fatalities from 30,000 infections since the virus hit Australian shores in early 2020, saying it was “hardly a pandemic”.
“Yeah, that’s it, continue to pedal the fear,” he said. “Australia has 474 [active] cases as I speak to you tonight, 0.018 per cent of the population, hardly a pandemic.
“Were there lockdowns, mandatory masks, border closures, businesses ruined, egotistical power hungry premiers and a prime minister locking the country down and talking about how we wouldn’t return to normal for years?
“Stop hyperventilating over Covid cases and think about the people right now who are hyperventilating over how they are going to pay their mortgage, their bills, their wages, their kids’ school fees.”
Jones also blasted the government’s “alarmism” around vaccinations, saying the leaders were blaming Australians “stupidity” for lockdowns rather than taking responsibility.
“More alarmism. The government won’t be responsible for the lockdowns, you will be, because you mugs out there haven’t been vaccinated,” he said. “Vaccination means nothing. There are people fully vaccinated who in this lockdown have to stay at home. They’re no different from the unvaccinated.
“Come on Australia, this is not leadership. We are being corralled into a future we don’t want and can’t afford. I won’t be giving up, you can’t afford to either.”