"Put it down, James. It's time": A letter of concern

You’re now an advisor to One Nation, which has landed you just on the edge of the national political stage just slightly behind the cameras

G'day James, it's me Owen.

I think we've only met the once, but that doesn't mean I don't care.

We're proud of all that you've achieved.

You faced some tough times when you faced Peter Slipper in court.

And you have copped it from all sides of the media for whatever part you played in the diary saga that enveloped both you and Mal Brough.

You're now an advisor to One Nation, which has landed you just on the edge of the national political stage. You stand just slightly behind or beside the cameras that now film Pauline Hanson.

That is an impressive rise. We're proud of you.

But there is something serious I think we need to talk about.

Do you remember in 2012 when we were at that press conference together?

You were an advisor to Speaker Peter Slipper and I was a Sunshine Coast Daily reporter quizzing him about allegations that he had misused his entitlements.

While filming him, you were obviously very upset by your boss being asked a pointed question.

You hit the phone from my hands and off it went through the air.
 

FROM THE ARCHIVES

• Peter Slipper "looking into" James Ashby's phone rage
   

We all have tough days, and in the months that followed, your tough days were splashed around by the national media. Even those text messages. Is that part of the reason phones seem to be an outlet for your anger?

Anyway, fast forward to this week and now I hear from the sunny climes of Maroochydore that it has happened again.

You tossed a phone at a woman, a staffer, who disagreed with you?

Oh James. That's not OK.

I don't know if our encounter was the first time you felt throwing a phone was the best way to deal with your anger, or whether it was another in a well-established pattern of phone fury. 

I gather you also used a phone back in 2002 to threaten a rival when you worked on radio. That's no good.

It's time to confront the elephant in the room.

It's time to put the phone down, James.

For all of us.

For Australia.

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