Irishman Alan Joyce, CEO of Qantas
Controversial Liberal senator Bill Heffernan has called Qantas CEO Alan Joyce an “Irish bomb-maker” in Canberra.
The comments were made as Mr Joyce appeared in front of a Senate estimates hearing.
According to the ABC, Senator Heffernan asked if Mr Joyce came “from a long line of Irish bomb makers”, before later calling him one.
“Mr Joyce, if the power was yours – you know from being an old Irish bomb-maker – if you had the choice, what would be the ideal pilot training?” Mr Heffernan said.
The Qantas chief laughed off the comment, and Senator Heffernan made several other wisecracks throughout the hearing. He also joked about there being no whiskey in the water and about having a beer during a three-minute break.
The senator acknowledged that people had been offended by the bomb jokes, but then made the same comments to fellow Liberal Julian McGauran.
“Senator McGauran are you, do you come from a long line of Irish bomb-makers, do you?” he said.
Senator McGauran responded: “Irish, Bill, yes. Happy to be Irish… but not bomb-makers.”
Neither Mr Joyce nor the Irish Embassy in Canberra would offer a comment on the senator’s remarks.
Mr Heffernan, of Irish heritage himself, is no stranger to controversy, with a long list of public faux pas to his name, including calling Julia Gillard “deliberately barren”.
He was also forced to apologise to the wife of independent MP Rob Oakeshott last year after phoning their residence claiming to be “the devil”.
-_2.jpg "Elizabeth McGlynn")
March 3rd, 2011 at 11:13 am
Bill Heffernans’comments on Alan Joyce’s Irish Heritage is nothing short of appalling. I am absolutely astounded that he can freely utter such racial slurs and insults to this extent under the guise of a Senate hearing without any repercussions. The fact that the Liberal Party does not pull this lunatic into line forces me to question my conscience as to whether I vote Liberal next time around and I am sure that many Irish-Australians will do likewise when it comes to the ballot box. Lets not condone this type of behaviour. A public apology should be required.
March 4th, 2011 at 1:35 pm
well why doesnt your newspapertake him to task , in stead of the usual “let it go” he deserves to be hammered over his remarks larry
April 19th, 2011 at 11:33 am
Yet another banal statement from Senator Heffernan, whose name is also derived from Irish Gaelic and interestingly enough (translated) means ‘a demon”. Mmmm say no more!