On his regular 3AW Sunday Morning show with co-hosts Darren James and Nick McCallum, veteran broadcaster John-Michael Howson was discussing Melbourne’s recent spate of car jackings and home invasions perpetrated by a teenage gang called APEX.

They were speaking to a police spokesman about what should be done to rein in the gang when the 80 year old Howson declared, “I’d put them on a jet as fast as I could back to bloody wherever they came from, bongo land.

“How many of these kids have been born here? I bet you a very small percentage,” he added.

According to Howson, no one complained on-air telling the Herald Sun, “I don’t care if people think it was racist it was a name that came into my head. Nobody complained on-air, nobody called. It’s not a nanny state it’s a fascist state. It’s absolutely appalling. Anything you say now is watched by the fascists and the totalitarianism who want to clamp down on you.

“What are they going to do come and cut out my tongue?”

3AW management reportedly said in a statement that they didn’t agree with the language.

“3AW does not condone the use of a derogatory term by John-Michael Howson on the Sunday Morning program today,” the statement read.

“We appreciate the term used can be hurtful and apologise for any offence caused.

“Management will be meeting with John-Michael to discuss the matter.”

In 2012 Howson was suspended by 3AW for yelling “Sieg Heil, Seig Heil” after Julian Assange’s mother hung up on him.

You can listen to the Sunday Morning program here.