A week on from her major media firestorm, presenter Sonia Kruger has been offered public support by morning television veteran Kerri-Anne Kennerley.
Attending the 2016 Helpmann Awards on Monday night, Kennerley told the Daily Mail her message to Kruger was simply to “stay brave.”
The Mornings with Kerri-Anne host said that the harassment Kruger had received since saying Australia should close its borders to all immigrants was “just appalling beyond belief.”
Kerri-Anne Kennerley has come out offering Sonia Kruger support. Source: Getty.
"I think it's appalling - with freedom of speech - where people have an opinion and everybody else finds the need to slam someone," Kennerley said.
"We are living in a democratic country. We do need people to have varying opinions and it should be treated with respect so therefore everybody should have their freedom of expression."
The controversy was sparked when Kruger was discussing the recent terror attack in Nice on the Today Show Mixed Grill segment with Tim Campbell and Lisa Wilkinson.
Kruger discussing the Nice terror attack with Wilkinson and Campbell. Post continues...
While discussing the attack, the former Big Brother host said that, like columnist Andrew Bolt, she felt “there is a correlation between the number of people in a country who are Muslim, and the number of terrorist attacks.”
When asked if she would like to see borders closed to all Muslim immigrants, the mother-of-one responded, "yes. Yes I would."
Sonia Kruger
Backlash to Kruger's comments began almost immediately, and after a week of radio silence from Chanel 9, the 51-year-old's future with the broadcaster was confirmed on Saturday, with a spokesperson telling News Corp, "Nine’s view is that we believe in freedom of speech and the Mixed Grill segment on the Today show is a place where that happens."
Top Comments
Sad that this is still getting so much media attention and that people with racial biases are coming out of the woodwork commending Sonia for "freedom of speech". To all you people, would you feel as passionate about her "freedom of speech" if she had said that "there should be more muslim immigrants" to Australia? Probably not. In fact, if you had paid any attention at all, you probably would have thought she was just having a rant. But because she has scratched that little itch of racial fear, discrimination and bias, she has validated ignorance such as "out with the lefties", "freedom of speech for Sonia" etc etc. Freedom of speech needs to be thoughtful and responsible. Quoting Andrew Bolt? Really? I didn't hear any one chanting that Tasmanians should be banned from the mainland when Martin Bryant killed so many innocent people. It's always the racism that comes out and it is disturbing. It is not doing any good for Australia. Personally don't care about Sonia's or Kerri-Anne's opinions - they seem very ignorant and fear driven to me. What worries me is that the media gives them a voice to spread their racial poison and self righteousness far and wide and then for that small racial itch to grow and grow into an ugly disease.
If you're going to publicly voice an opinion, and be paid to do it on TV, expect to have it scrutinised and criticised. It seems Sonia wants to have her cake and eat it to: publicly express an opinion and then not have it criticised.
No, she was calling for a public discussion. She actually wants a debate. She doesn't want nor deserve the torrent of abuse.