November 9, 2025 • 5 mins
Australian radio legend John Laws has died.
The 90-year-old affectionately dubbed 'Golden Tonsils' died in Sydney, after being hospitalised last month.
Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson looked back on his radio legacy.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
International Correspondence with Ends and Eye Insurance, Peace of Mind
for New Zealand Business.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Oliver Peterson six PR Perth Life present to HEYLI.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
I'm already smiling talking to you, Heather.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
I mean, it's just good customer service though, isn't it?
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Absolutely? You can hear it in your voice when you smile,
can't you, Heather?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Can you yes, go and give us a line.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Well, it's just wonderful to be such a great day.
I won a media award on Saturday Night Header did
you what for local council that ended up getting abolished
or sacked after I interviewed the mayor because basically she
didn't want a children's hospice in what is a class
A reserve where there's nice trees and whatnot. But you
(00:40):
know what, I just think that maybe putting dying children's
final wishes as a priorities probably out maybe just outweighs
just a couple of trees.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah, just that got very very heavy, very quickly. I
agree with you on that. Hey, listen, what are they
going to do about the Nazi slogans?
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Well, the New South Wales's government wants to bring in
some new hate law. Now this somewhat surprises me because
it is illegal in New South Wales. It's illegal here
in Western Australia as well to have Nazi symbols, but
it's actually not illegally New South Wales to have Nazi
speeches or Nazi slogans. So we saw a gathering over
the weekend at New South Wales Parliament House and this
(01:17):
has happened on a few occasions now. There was a
group that's had abolished the Jewish Library and they were
undertaking this what is deemed legal protests. But it's not
a great look. And obviously the current laws in place
in New South Wales mean that this can go ahead,
but the speeches and slogans they're looking to upgrade the
laws now so can be stamped out. A couple of
MP's Kelly Sloane in New South Wales as well as
(01:39):
the Federal Teel illegal spender, spoke out about these comments
and there as a result of what they have said,
they've had to go and delete their social media accounts.
They have been smashed online by people for speaking up
in regards to this. I don't know that this isn't
the Australia that we know and love and appreciate. It
just doesn't feel like what we get up to in
this country, all getting towards that sort of boiling point.
(02:02):
I just don't like it.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
I missed who's getting smashed on social media? Is that
the people who want to have these slogans band or
the people who are criticizing that.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
So the people who want them banned, the MPs who
have spoken.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Who's smashing them on social media?
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Those who would be connected to those like people who
want to use Nazi slogan don't want use Nazis slogans
and speeches, And and there is enough of them to
see it's enough of them on social media correct and
say what's free speech?
Speaker 2 (02:26):
The hell is going on with Australia.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
But this, it's just it's become what some might think
is a bit of a sleeper issue. It's becoming more
and more mainstream and out in public, and it's I
don't blame our legislators for speaking up and saying let's
get rid of this. This isn't you know that the
place we want to be in. And yet they're they're
finding it as a result of speaking up to that,
they're having to get rid of their social media accounts
It's wild.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Isn't it. But I mean that in and of itself
almost really underschooes the fact that they absolutely have to look.
I'm not saying that they have to ban slogans. I
don't know how I feel about that, but that's something
is very wrong and needs to be done to h Absolutely,
John Laws made it for a good old age, didn't he?
Speaker 1 (03:05):
Gidney indeed ninety years of age and how's that seventy
one years he spent behind the microphone that he's just phenomenal.
And I was crazy when I was started my career
at two Yue, going back sixteen seventeen years ago when
Lawsy had just retired from to UI. And it's actually
all the tributes are flung from the Prime Minister to
Graham Richardson obviously also passing on the weekend down to
(03:27):
Russell Crowe and nobody has a bad word to say
about John Laws. And he was in that generation of
broadcast d in Australia. He said, no, he's never been
a journalist. He goes, you know, he's an entertainer. But
he was respected by every side of politics and yeah,
he's a bit controversial at times. There was also that
cash for comments Saga for a little while as well.
But Lawsy just had the golden tonsils, he had the voice.
And when I started at t UI, heathered just very
(03:49):
quickly where Lawsy's office was. After he had left, that
became an office for about fifteen people. So it just
keives him the idea in the good old days, right
that the power of the broadcaster. How he did had
that office. I'd know about you these days at ZB.
I mean you probably have a whole floor to yourself.
But where I am at six PR here in Perth,
I'm just in a pod the people.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Do you do watch the Morning show? You know, the
one with Jennifer Aniston?
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Do you ever? I watched that and think Geese people
have got people have crazy ideas what it means to
be in the medium, like the awesome glass offices with
like the PA and all the great furniture. I'm like, nah,
try hot desking you correct? Yeah, spot on, it's it's.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
You can only dream for that too?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
How good would that be?
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Hey?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
So a couple of coffee is a thing?
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Now? Did you like coffee?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Matt?
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Love it?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
But just the g a, just the one because you
don't want to become a niacle. Is that right?
Speaker 1 (04:37):
So I do three shots a day, but all before
mid days. You have to mid dog get the shakes.
But hey, that's good. You and I are fine, right,
because now my heart's going to be fine. That's what
they're saying, this dude out of Adelaide.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Because you're making it race every day.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
That's right. Basically the research out of Adelaide, but I'm
going with it says that all of a sudden, we're
not gonna have to worry about AF So how do
you say atrial fibrillation? So it just means you know,
heart's going to beat properly. We'll be right, We're fine,
We're good drinking coffee.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Right, you sound like a doctor, Ollie. Thanks very much,
Oliver Peterson, six pr PERS Live Presenter. For more from
Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to News Talks' b
from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
International Correspondence with Ends and Eye Insurance, Peace of Mind
for New Zealand Business.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Oliver Peterson six PR Perth Life present to HEYLI.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
I'm already smiling talking to you, Heather.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
I mean, it's just good customer service though, isn't it?
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Absolutely? You can hear it in your voice when you smile,
can't you, Heather?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Can you yes, go and give us a line.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Well, it's just wonderful to be such a great day.
I won a media award on Saturday Night Header did
you what for local council that ended up getting abolished
or sacked after I interviewed the mayor because basically she
didn't want a children's hospice in what is a class
A reserve where there's nice trees and whatnot. But you
(00:40):
know what, I just think that maybe putting dying children's
final wishes as a priorities probably out maybe just outweighs
just a couple of trees.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah, just that got very very heavy, very quickly. I
agree with you on that. Hey, listen, what are they
going to do about the Nazi slogans?
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Well, the New South Wales's government wants to bring in
some new hate law. Now this somewhat surprises me because
it is illegal in New South Wales. It's illegal here
in Western Australia as well to have Nazi symbols, but
it's actually not illegally New South Wales to have Nazi
speeches or Nazi slogans. So we saw a gathering over
the weekend at New South Wales Parliament House and this
(01:17):
has happened on a few occasions now. There was a
group that's had abolished the Jewish Library and they were
undertaking this what is deemed legal protests. But it's not
a great look. And obviously the current laws in place
in New South Wales mean that this can go ahead,
but the speeches and slogans they're looking to upgrade the
laws now so can be stamped out. A couple of
MP's Kelly Sloane in New South Wales as well as
(01:39):
the Federal Teel illegal spender, spoke out about these comments
and there as a result of what they have said,
they've had to go and delete their social media accounts.
They have been smashed online by people for speaking up
in regards to this. I don't know that this isn't
the Australia that we know and love and appreciate. It
just doesn't feel like what we get up to in
this country, all getting towards that sort of boiling point.
(02:02):
I just don't like it.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
I missed who's getting smashed on social media? Is that
the people who want to have these slogans band or
the people who are criticizing that.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
So the people who want them banned, the MPs who
have spoken.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Who's smashing them on social media?
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Those who would be connected to those like people who
want to use Nazi slogan don't want use Nazis slogans
and speeches, And and there is enough of them to
see it's enough of them on social media correct and
say what's free speech?
Speaker 2 (02:26):
The hell is going on with Australia.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
But this, it's just it's become what some might think
is a bit of a sleeper issue. It's becoming more
and more mainstream and out in public, and it's I
don't blame our legislators for speaking up and saying let's
get rid of this. This isn't you know that the
place we want to be in. And yet they're they're
finding it as a result of speaking up to that,
they're having to get rid of their social media accounts
It's wild.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Isn't it. But I mean that in and of itself
almost really underschooes the fact that they absolutely have to look.
I'm not saying that they have to ban slogans. I
don't know how I feel about that, but that's something
is very wrong and needs to be done to h Absolutely,
John Laws made it for a good old age, didn't he?
Speaker 1 (03:05):
Gidney indeed ninety years of age and how's that seventy
one years he spent behind the microphone that he's just phenomenal.
And I was crazy when I was started my career
at two Yue, going back sixteen seventeen years ago when
Lawsy had just retired from to UI. And it's actually
all the tributes are flung from the Prime Minister to
Graham Richardson obviously also passing on the weekend down to
(03:27):
Russell Crowe and nobody has a bad word to say
about John Laws. And he was in that generation of
broadcast d in Australia. He said, no, he's never been
a journalist. He goes, you know, he's an entertainer. But
he was respected by every side of politics and yeah,
he's a bit controversial at times. There was also that
cash for comments Saga for a little while as well.
But Lawsy just had the golden tonsils, he had the voice.
And when I started at t UI, heathered just very
(03:49):
quickly where Lawsy's office was. After he had left, that
became an office for about fifteen people. So it just
keives him the idea in the good old days, right
that the power of the broadcaster. How he did had
that office. I'd know about you these days at ZB.
I mean you probably have a whole floor to yourself.
But where I am at six PR here in Perth,
I'm just in a pod the people.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Do you do watch the Morning show? You know, the
one with Jennifer Aniston?
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Do you ever? I watched that and think Geese people
have got people have crazy ideas what it means to
be in the medium, like the awesome glass offices with
like the PA and all the great furniture. I'm like, nah,
try hot desking you correct? Yeah, spot on, it's it's.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
You can only dream for that too?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
How good would that be?
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Hey?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
So a couple of coffee is a thing?
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Now? Did you like coffee?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Matt?
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Love it?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
But just the g a, just the one because you
don't want to become a niacle. Is that right?
Speaker 1 (04:37):
So I do three shots a day, but all before
mid days. You have to mid dog get the shakes.
But hey, that's good. You and I are fine, right,
because now my heart's going to be fine. That's what
they're saying, this dude out of Adelaide.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Because you're making it race every day.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
That's right. Basically the research out of Adelaide, but I'm
going with it says that all of a sudden, we're
not gonna have to worry about AF So how do
you say atrial fibrillation? So it just means you know,
heart's going to beat properly. We'll be right, We're fine,
We're good drinking coffee.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Right, you sound like a doctor, Ollie. Thanks very much,
Oliver Peterson, six pr PERS Live Presenter. For more from
Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to News Talks' b
from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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