In 2015, before Malcolm Turnbull became prime minister, and when he was still on speaking terms with Alan Jones, he gave the 2GB radio shock jock a call.
"[Abbott] wants to have a plebiscite on same-sex marriage. I mean, this is ridiculous," Jones recalled Turnbull saying to him. Jones made the revelation about the call during an interview with Australian Marriage Equality co-chair Alex Greenwich for Yes Yes Yes, a book Greenwich has co-authored with AME NSW co-convenor Shirleene Robinson.
The book catalogues the 13 years of the marriage equality campaign, starting with former Liberal prime minister John Howard teaming up with Labor to ban same-sex marriage in 2004, and ending when same-sex couples were able to marry at the end of 2017.
In the book Jones recounts telling Turnbull at the time that he should "march into the parliament, argue in the party room and win the debate".
As was a signature of his time as prime minister, Turnbull's previously held position didn't last, and when Turnbull became prime minister in September 2015, he retained the policy to hold a plebiscite on same-sex marriage. Greenwich told BuzzFeed News Jones played a critical role at key times.
"He was strongly against a plebiscite," Greenwich said, adding Jones would often make space on his program for Greenwich to make the case for same-sex marriage and against the plebiscite, on a station with listeners that would probably not be used to hearing that point of view.
"He made it quite clear to Turnbull and Abbott that he did not like the idea of a plebiscite," he said. "[Jones] was always a call away."
After a Tasmanian DJ known as Astro Labe headbutted former prime minister Tony Abbott in Hobart, and it was initially claimed Labe was a marriage equality advocate, Greenwich said he was able to go on Jones' program the next morning to make it clear that the incident was not representative of the "yes" campaign.
Greenwich said Jones also had him on the show to refute the marriage equality and religious protections legislation developed by Liberal senator James Paterson as a counter to the ultimately successful bill developed by Liberal senator Dean Smith.
"Alan was someone who was a support to the campaign, and I don't think many people would realise that. He obviously spoke to an audience which other media outlets don't talk to, and I think played a role in increasing the 'yes' vote."
In recent weeks and months, the influence Jones and his colleagues on 2GB and Sky News have had on right wing politics in Australia has been in the spotlight, literally in the case of the NSW government promoting a horse racing event on the sails of the Sydney Opera House. Jones and co were also blamed in part for Liberal party MPs ousting Turnbull as the prime minister in August this year.
BuzzFeed News sought comment from Jones.
And while he might have been a strong advocate on this one particular issue, Jones' views on sexuality more broadly appear conflicted; in particular, he has railed against the Safe Schools program and the teaching of sexuality in schools.
After Scott Morrison became prime minister, in one of his first interviews, Jones asked the PM about whether it made his "skin curl" that year nine students were being taught to role play as someone bisexual in 15 relationships, as part of the Victorian government's Respectful Relationships program.
Morrison responded that it was why he sends his daughters to private schools.
The case study in question is actually one of nine optional components of the year nine program.
Yes Yes Yes: Australia's Journey to Marriage Equality is out November 1.