Australia may be 'speaking with a forked tongue': Alan Jones

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has asked China to apologise for posting a doctored photo of an Australian soldier, yet he has not yet apologised for his language regarding the ADF over alleged war crimes, says Sky News host Alan Jones.

It comes after Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian posted a doctored photo of an Australian soldier holding a knife to the throat of a child; Mr Morrison labelled the picture as “deeply offensive to every Australian who has served in that uniform”.

“Of course everyone is outraged, but the question we have to ask is, what gave rise to this?” Mr Jones said.

“The prime minister's reference to this Brereton report into our brave men in Afghanistan – our prime minister told the world without reading the report that we would be shocked by ‘brutal truths’.

“If this political bushfire is out of control, who lit the match?”

Mr Jones said the prime minister had “boasted that he had apologised to the President of Afghanistan for the contents of a report he hadn’t read”.

“And the Defence Chief talked about stripping the medals from all who served,” he said.

“Yes, the fake image … is disgusting and repugnant, but prime minister you’re asking China to apologise.

“We asked China to apologise, but not one word of apology from the prime minister or the generals.

“Do we speak with a forked tongue?”