Alan Jones shut down on the ABC’s Q&A for talking about violence against Aboriginal women

Conservative broadcaster Alan Jones was shut down on the ABC’s Q&A program when he raised the issue of violence against Aboriginal women.

Jones, who was Sydney’s breakfast radio king for more than three decades, noted Indigenous Northern Territory Country Liberals senator Jacinta Price’s campaign to highlight the high rates of domestic violence in remote Aboriginal communities.

‘What do you do about the violence, the appalling violence towards women in the Northern Territory? No action’s been taken it,’ the ADH TV presenter said. 

‘Jacinta Price came to Canberra last year with horrific revelations about what was going on in the Northern Territory.

‘No one, no one has opened their mouth to support her and nothing has been done.’

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Conservative broadcaster Alan Jones was shut down on the ABC’s Q&A program when he raised the issue of violence against Aboriginal women

Federal Labor cabinet minister Ed Husic, Australia’s first Muslim MP, interrupted.

‘Alan, violence against women cuts across all colours,’ he said.

Jones then asked Ben Abbatangelo, an Indigenous writer and a former Melbourne Stars Twenty20 Big Bash League cricket player for a response. 

When he stayed silent Q&A host Stan Grant, who is also Indigenous, shut down the discussion, and apologised to Indigenous audience member Deidre Trewhella, who had asked about ‘hostility towards first nations people’ as someone who ‘survived my family being torn apart by government legislation’.

‘Can I just say, we’re having this conversation in front of an Aboriginal woman who has brought this question to us,’ Grant said.

‘Deirdre, I can hear the distress in your voice even bringing the question. 

‘I want to just say, can we just leave that where it sits right now?

He had noted Indigenous Northern Territory Country Liberals senator Jacinta Price’s campaign to highlight the high rates of domestic violence in remote Aboriginal communities

Q&A host Stan Grant (pictured right with wife Tracey Holmes), who is also Indigenous, shut down the discussion, and apologised to Indigenous audience member Deidre Trewhella, who had asked about ‘hostility towards first nations people’ as someone who ‘survived my family being torn apart by government legislation’

‘Deirdre, thank you so much for raising that question and I’m sorry that you even have to raise the question because clearly, these are not easy questions to ask.’  

Abbatangelo had also told the panel program that Indigenous players should boycott the AFL, following racism accusations against Hawthorn coaches in Melbourne.

They included separating Aboriginal players from their family and an athlete being told to make his girlfriend have an abortion.

Abbatangelo called for Indigenous players to boycott the AFL, likening it the idea to the 1966 Wave Hill Walk-Off in the Northern Territory where 200 Gurindji stockmen, domestic workers and their families took strike action over poor treatment.

‘I think it’s time for Indigenous players across the AFL to boycott,’ he said.

‘It’s time to learn from the Wave Hill Walk-Off, I think it’s time to learn from a lot of the other political movements throughout history that solidarity always wins.

‘Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander people in the AFL are the number one shareholders, they bring so much joy to the games, so much joy to people’s lives but if you can’t be free in those moments, and all of us in those moments, then none of us are.’

Senator Price, who acknowledges her Celtic and Warlpiri heritage, used her maiden speech to federal parliament to highlight violence against Aboriginal women in remote communities from Wadeye to Tennant Creek and Yuendemu.

She argued symbolism, such as welcome to country ceremonies and acknowledgement of Indigenous people at corporate events, gained more attention than addressing ‘the scourge of alcoholism and the violence’ against Aboriginal women.

Ben Abbatangelo, an Indigenous writer and a former Melbourne Stars Twenty20 Big Bash League cricket player