EXCLUSIVE : CONTROVERSIAL YOUNG POLITICIAN DUDDED JOURNALIST

Little Darwin flashback 

In 1966 , at  the age of   22 ,  Jones , of  the Liberal Country League , with  ultra  conservative views,  became the  youngest  politician  elected   to the   House of  Representatives when  he won the seat of Adelaide which had been a  Labor  stronghold .

By   Peter  Simon 

 He caused an uproar when  at  the newly  formed  Adelaide Liberal Luncheon Group ,held at the Arkaba Steak Cellar , off King  William Street , he delivered a  speech covering  his  first impressions  of  Federal  Parliament .

Questions were asked at  the  conclusion, during  which  he said  honourable  members in Canberra  were  half  drunk  half  the  time . He  also said  he had been amazed one day in the House to see there were only nine of 124 members  present .

Three were asleep, two were doing a crossword and one was reading an outdated  Donald Duck comic .

He did not realise the  uproar that  would result from such colourful  remarks- which  went  worldwide .

In the  book, Jones  said  he  was  shattered  by  the  initial  media   response and  follow  ups .  His mother cried , his  enemies  rolled in the aisles laughing , his  brother was  ridiculed at school, Young Liberals were up  in arms and  wanted  his  blood , he did  not  sleep  for   five  nights .

Cartoonists, of course, had a  field day - Paul Rigby in particular ,the book illustrated  by   him.

Rigby's version ,below,  of  Jones  apologising  in  the  chamber  for  his   comments  about  parliamentarians  is   an  absolute  gem. Jones was called by  the  party  whip  to apologise for  his  statement  on  the  floor of  the House . 

Now living on Magnetic Island , Queensland ,  Ian  Mackay  explained how  he  came to  write  the  book .

An experienced   television and newspaper  reporter , he  had written  a  book on the Vietnam War , published  by  Rigby , Adelaide .  For  Rigby , he had once   ghosted  a  book  for  a   doctor .

The publishers asked him if he would  ghost  a  book on Andrew Jones who was receiving so much colourful  media  coverage , a local young man  seemingly  going  places .

For three hectic  months ,Ian , working on the  Adelaide  Advertiser, regularly  went to  Andrew's sleepout  at  the  back of  his  parents'  residence  , his  father a  banker , and   took copious  notes  , then  belted  out the  manuscript on  his  Olivetti  Lettera .

  It covered  being  raised in Sydney , attending St. Peter's College, Adelaide,  going to sea with the Blue Funnel Line as a cadet ,  time at Adelaide  University , the  wild    election  campaign  , the Vietnam  War a major issue  at  the  time ,  the   aftermath . 

The book  included an opening  letter from  Prime Minister  Harold Holt to Dear Andrew, which said  his  narrative might encourage young  Australians  to  get  involved in politics.

In part, he wrote : "Young Australians of this generation have more cause , perhaps, than ever before in their country's history, to inform themselves about  the  large international and domestic issues which bear on their future.  There is a need for them to play an active part in the political life of the nation  and for a growing number of them  to find their way into its Governments  and  Parliaments."

Launched with  much  publicity , the book  sold well .  From Jones , Ian received   a   presentation copy , the  signed  title  page  shown  below ,now in  his  book collection.

After some  time, Ian contacted the publishers, asked when he would be paid  for  his  ghosting of  the  book . Much to his surprise, he was told that Andrew Jones  would  pay  him for his services . Ian  raised the  subject  with  Jones  in a  North Terrace  drinking  establishment  which enabled  imbibing after 6pm, the  official  pub  closing  time  in  those days.

Jones  acknowledged  that  yes , the arrangement  with  Rigby's was  for him  to  pay  Ian  for his   services.  Then  he  reached  for  his wallet,  pulled out  a $20 note  , gave  it to him , probably  the  first time in his seasoned career that  Ian  was  lost  for  words ...    $20 !!! !!!

A  bottle of  South Australian wine was  bought with  the piddling payment . 

It is interesting to  note that  Jones  once described alcohol as  "the devil's urine". 

Wikipedia states he caused further controversy through  the release of " his book" which  made  further comments on the "wickedness " of  parliament .

He had  caused  further uproar when he wrote  the  spoken word  record  Shadow Valley and  Iron Triangles  by  The  Young Australians , played  over the tune Waltzing  Matilda. 

Jones had described it as "anti- Communist"; his supporters said it was  "a reaction against the spate of sick, immoral and depraved pseudo-folk music which  pours  from  the  radio".

It contained the lines: "When you hear the anthem, lift up your head, remember our past, see our glorious future and let your voice sing out, and friend,  thank  God  you're  free."

Detractors  described  the record as "awful" or "pure jingoism". An online shot of the record conversely displays the comments Commo Propaganda   and  CRAP .

 

 The  record made it  onto  The  Worst Records of the World An Arcade of Audio  Atrocities  website,  run by Darryl W. Bullock . He described it as  three minutes of  Australian jingoistic nonsense masquerading as a call to support the Vietnam War.

The Young Australians , he said,  were  actually  the  narrator ,  Rex Headings  , a former DJ  and television executive who went on to create the popular Aussie kids' character Humphrey B. Bear. Issued in 1967, the record  had  been  banned from several  radio  stations, although it reached  Number  One  in  the  Adelaide  district. 

Jones  lost  the  seat of Adelaide to Chris Hurford of the ALP at the next election. He made a failed attempt to  be elected to the Senate years later , was reported  keeping  a  low  profile  in  Western  Australia , died December 2, 2015.  

With compound interest, Ian Mackay  would be happy to receive a million bucks or a handful of  bitcoins  as  belated  full  settlement   for  his  ghostly  experience  with  the  Jones  boy .