Comment from Peter Saxon.
Having been retired from 2GB, dumped by Sky News and The Australian, and unable to close a deal with Bill Caralis at the Super Network, the News Corp tabloids are speculating that the octogenarian is now ready to make the move into politics.
One might suggest that Alan Jones had far more influence over Australian politics as a broadcaster than he could ever hope to have as an actual member of parliament.
Nonetheless, Jones still wields more influence than most. His Facebook page has some 165,000 followers, not to mention the ear and backing of some of Australia’s most influential people.
According to The Daily Telegraph (subscription): It is understood one of his key supporters is former prime minister Tony Abbott, prompting speculation Jones is being encouraged to run in Warringah.
But will that be enough? After all, at the last election, Mr Abbott was rejected by the people of that electorate, in part due to his fierce opposition to marriage equality legislation. Although Jones carries no such baggage on that particular issue, he is nonetheless, seen as an arch conservative on most other issues, whether church or state.
But that’s the least of his problems if Jones is looking to win back the seat of Warringah in the lower house. The current PM, Scott Morrison, seems to have a preferred candidate in mind.
As the Tele reports: Nominations were to have closed on December 3, but the deadline was extended on Friday to January 14 to allow former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian more time to make up her mind as to whether she will nominate. It is understood Ms Berejiklian is now seriously considering the offer.
The other problem for Jones is that despite his enormous success on 2GB where over 226 surveys he could claim an average of around 15 per cent of the Sydney breakfast audience, he’d need to get over 50 percent of the vote, including preferences, to win a lower house seat. It’s a feat made more difficult by the fact that he was such a polarising personality in media.
His best bet would probably be to run as an independent for the Senate. If Derryn Hinch could do it, why not Alan Jones?
Jones himself says, “I ain’t going away.” What’s more, fans can follow this link to “Sign up to find out where Alan goes next.”
Peter Saxon
The question is will an elected Mr Jones advocate for the same issues that he advocated on radio such as (i) being against anthropomorphic climate change, (ii) installing coal-fired power stations and (iii) building a water irrigation scheme for drought-proofing Western Queensland based on the proposal of Dr Bradfield in 1938?
While on air, Mr Jones' program was well-researched and commanded a market-leading audience. Mr Jones possessed political acumen when predicting the outcome of an LNP victory at the 2019 Federal Election when other media commentators were predicting a Labor victory.
But his program has not been able to achieve the construction of coal-fired power stations, reversing policies on anthropomorphic climate change and the implementation Bradfield Scheme?
If Mr Jones is elected to parliament, will he be able to have coal-fired power stations built, withdraw from the Paris Agreement, reduce or even eliminate carbon dioxide reduction targets or even implement Dr Bradfield's scheme?
Whether or not you like Mr Jones, there are two factors against him. First, despite Mr Jones' eloquence and his technique of rhetoric, he may not be able to persuade the Parliament to implement the issues he discussed on air. The tide is generally for climate change, alternatives to fossil fuels, and NOT building a Bradfield scheme. Second, unlike talkback programs where the presenter has access to a fader, Alan will be subject to views from differing voices with Coalition meetings of members and when debating issues within the chambers of either the Legislative Assembly (Lower House) or Senate (Upper House).
Alternatively once elected Mr Jones may change his mind and be more flexible in his views. But that is an unknown.
Thank you,
Anthony from analytical Belfield