Perth shock jock Howard Sattler has been sacked after a controversial interview with the prime minister in which he asked if her partner, Tim Mathieson, was gay.
Sattler is well known for his blunt style, but his interview in Perth with Julia Gillard on Thursday afternoon sent local journalists into a Twitter frenzy and made international headlines.
Sattler asked Ms Gillard to test some "myths, rumours, snide jokes and innuendos", following up with "Tim's gay.
That's not me saying it, that's a myth." "Well, that's absurd," Ms Gillard responded. "Yeah, but you hear it, he must be gay, he's a hairdresser," Sattler said.
Ms Gillard replied: "To all the hairdressers out there, including the men who are listening, I don't think in life one can actually look at a whole profession full of different human beings and say, 'gee we know something about every one of those human beings'. I mean it's absurd, isn't it?" "You can confirm that he's not?" he asked.
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"Oh, Howard, don't be ridiculous, of course not," the prime minister shot back. Fairfax management later issued a statement on Thursday evening saying Sattler had been suspended.
And on Friday afternoon, the broadcaster announced on air that he had been sacked.
6PR general manager Martin Boylen read a statement on air that was sent to all staff.
He said Sattler's conduct was disrespectful to the office and to the prime minister, and was entirely inappropriate.
Mr Boylen also apologised to Ms Gillard and Mr Mathieson for allowing Sattler to raise the matters that he did.
"The station has now decided to terminate Mr Sattler's engagement effective immediately," he said.
