Anthony Albanese has defended plans to attend the wedding of controversial radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands, alongside some questionable figures in the groom's party, saying he is not "in charge of the invite list" and he is an "Australian success story".
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The Prime Minister promised on air last year he would DJ at the wedding of Mr Sandilands and his former assistant Tegan Kynaston, a Sydney event on Saturday which is also being attended by NSW Premier Chris Minns. The best man at the reportedly lavish event is convicted drug smuggler Simon Main and one of the groomsmen is Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim.
The KIIS 106.5 radio host himself has had a career which has survived making a 14-year-old sexual assault victim cry, mocking Paralympians, upsetting Christians for denigrating the mother of Jesus and for describing monkeypox as a "big gay disease".
"I'm not in charge of the invite list. I was invited by Kyle Sandilands to his wedding, which is taking place tomorrow in Sydney. I accepted that invitation. And I intend to attend the wedding," Mr Albanese told reporters in Brisbane.
The radio host this week told Mr Albanese, live on air, he was sitting next to his mother at the wedding.
"Awesome. I'm sure she's a good mum, and I'll be nice," the Prime Minister said.
The deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley is among those who have questioned the attendance.
"There is nothing wrong with going to a friend's wedding, but it is curious the Prime Minister thinks he can take a day off just days before his first real budget," she said.
"Australians will rightly ask whether the Prime Minister should be spinning decks at a $1 million wedding when people can't afford their rent."
The radio and TV host has described a difficult childhood. He was deeply affected by the divorce of his parents and told to leave home when he was 15 for holding a party without permission and damaging a car.
The Prime Minister referred to this upbringing when defending his attendance.
"Kyle Sandilands is someone who's a significant figure and one of the things about Kyle Sandilands - I'll say this - a bloke who at one stage was homeless, living on the streets of Sydney, and has grown into someone who is a significant public figure, is a part of what is an Australian success story," he said.
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Former prime minister Julia Gillard was also criticised for appearing on a Sandilands program when she was leader, particularly as she held an anti-misogynist stance.
"Kyle and Jackie O speak to more than 1 million Australians every morning," Ms Gillard told Women's Weekly back in 2013.
"And what do we as politicians want? We want the opportunity to talk to more than 1 million Australians. I went on the show the day after Mr Abbott was on it and for whatever reason, the fact that I went on it is the topic of discussion."