entertainment

Sunrise host Sam Armytage attacked on air. Who do you think was in the wrong?

 

Sunrise host Samantha Armytage got slammed live on air this morning for her interviewing technique by an irate Jeff Kennett. With her usual Sunrise co-host David Koch away, Andrew O’Keefe was be her side on the panel today, and the pair copped a bit of a tirade from the former Victorian premier.

Kennett and former opposition leader Mark Latham got into a heated spat over the 5000 reported jobs lost at Qantas and whether Qantas CEO Alan Joyce deserved to be sacked. Latham, who seemed to be reporting from some kind of national park, openly blames Joyce for the $2 billion hole in the company’s finances.

Latham even joked that David “Kochie” Koch could do a better job leading our national airline: “Where’s Kochie this morning? He could be in crisis talks with Qantas. He could do a much better job, couldn’t do any worse.”

But even the suggestion of Joyce’s culpability sent Kennett into a rage, which ended up directed at Sam and Andrew. He chastised the Channel 7 hosts, saying he was “disappointed in your level of questioning” and “cheap shots”.

Watch the video here – the action really starts at around the 2 minute mark.

This is how it went down.

Kennett: “Unlike Mark, I support what Mr Joyce is doing. It’s not easy, it’s certainly very tough and at least he’s trying to get the airline back on it’s feet. This isn’t a popularity poll. It’s not good enough for two journalists or broadcasters, who I suspect have never employed a person in their life, to actually be sitting there questioning an individual who, in my opinion is dealing …”

Armytage: “It is a private company and it seems that he [Joyce] hasn’t been doing a great job Jeff, because it’s not doing very well.”

Kennett: “When did you last employ a person? Never. When did you last pay payroll tax?”

Latham: “We know where Jeff’s sitting. You’re safely buckled into seat 1A for the future. A nice big Qantas seat in a nice big Qantas lounge Jeff, this is spin free segment here. This is not just some blind defence of a company that’s sacking 5000 people!”

Whose side are you on? Do you agree with Jeff Kennett, or defend Sam Armytage?