Public forces Jones apology

Sydney shock jock Alan Jones has apologised after again using the Nword on radio – but only after a public backlash. Jones (above) used the word yesterday when talking about the Liberal leadership challenge and his fear that Finance Minister Mathias Cormann wasn’t helping Peter Dutton roll PM Malcolm Turnbull.

SYDNEY shock jock Alan Jones has apologised after again using the N-word on radio – but only after a public backlash.

Jones (right) yesterday was getting wound up about the Liberal leadership challenge in Canberra and his fear that Finance Minister Mathias Cormann wasn’t helping Peter Dutton roll Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

“Anyone can stand ... but they are mobilising to block Dutton,” the veteran broadcaster said. “The n **** in the woodpile here, if one can use that expression – and I’m not going to yield to people who tell us that certain words in the language are forbidden – the person who’s playing hard to get here is Mathias Cormann.”

Jones apologised many hours later, tweeting: “We all make mistakes. This morning ... I spoke about the covert actions of some political operatives in the current leadership challenges.

“I used an old and offensive figure of speech that I regret saying.”

The shock jock used the same phrase in 2013 when discussing Queensland’s thendeputy premier and in 2012 when railing against Mr Turnbull’s leadership aspirations.

Jones has used the expression on numerous other occasions on air dating back to at least 2007.