Hadley calls for Laws to retire

Staff Writer
pic: David Moir

In a blunt attack on John Laws, 2GB’s Ray Hadley has said that the broadcaster should call time on his career as he is holding himself up for ‘public ridicule’.

Hadley said; “it’s none of my business what Mr Laws does on his program, and nor do I care, he’s talking to such a miniscule audience we shouldn’t really worry about it.

But when someone who has been in broadcasting for 60 years or thereabouts has no empathy for a sexual assualt victim, maybe it’s time we called full-time.”

The criticism follows Laws’ interview with an 80-year old sexual abuse victim called Brian on his 2SM program last week, where he suggested the man needed to have a lemonade and a lie down, amongst other things, to ‘get over’ his abuse.

You can hear the original Laws interview with Brian here.

Following that interview, Laws had Bravehearts Hetty Johnson on the show, who was extremely critical of his handling of the original interview; hear her interview here.

Ray Hadley, who is an Ambassador for Bravehearts, read extensive transcripts of the Laws interview with Brian, and went on to say;

‘Mr Laws, maybe it is time that you called time on a great broadcasting career, because all you are doing to yourself at the moment is holding yourself up for public ridicule, because you have no empathy (or) understanding of what we should be doing with historical sexual attacks.”

During my time as a fill-in for Mr Laws a number of times I was warned a number of times by Program Directors, and by people connected with the station, not to talk about child sexual assaults on-air.

I asked why and they said ‘oh its a turn-off people don’t want to hear about that sort of stuff’.

I had the feeling at the time that it was the direct result of involvement by Mr Laws, and Mr Laws not prepared to confront me himself sent other people into bat, he has a history of doing that.

He is non-confrontational. And I am confrontational.”

Hadley then played audio of a 2013 interview where Laws asked a female child sexual assault victim if she took any responsibility for the attacks on her (when she was aged between 6 and 16). He then said:

‘Mr Laws simply doesnt understand, he comes from an era where ignorance of sexault assaults against children is bliss.’

You can hear the complete Ray Hadley commentary on John Laws here.

Comment Form

Your email address will not be published.

Recent comments (0)
Post new comment

Jobs

See all