Sean Plunket has derided Time magazine for picking Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg as its Person of the Year, claiming the choice was in the interest of "selling more magazines".
Speaking on MagicTalk on Thursday afternoon, Plunket, 55, read aloud a text from a listener noting previous controversial title-holders.
"Just on Greta Thunberg getting Time Person of the Year... I love this text. Mike's just pointed out to me some other stunning people who have been Time Person of the Year," Plunket said.
"Joseph Stalin, in 1939 and 1942... Joseph Stalin, excellent. Richard Nixon, 1971. Don't forget Adolf Hitler in 1938... Rudy Giuliani in 2001. Vladimir Putin - good old Vlad - in 2007. And our very own Donald Trump in 2016.
"So I suppose in some ways, Greta fits that mould perfectly - she's a great choice.
"Of course, they're only choosing that person on who can sell the most magazines - and Little Miss 'How Dare You' has clearly had a lot of exposure this year."
Later on, Plunket reiterated his belief that 16-year-old Thunberg was only chosen to "sell more editions".
"All it's designed to do is sell more editions of Time magazine, which strangely enough is printed on paper - which comes from trees, which should be left in the ground to cleanse the environment," he said to a caller.
Thunberg, who turns 17 in January, has captured the world's attention with her powerful activism towards the climate crisis. The teen was lauded by Time for kicking off an environmental campaign in August 2018, which later developed into a global movement.
In September, the 16-year-old polarised the world with her impassioned speech at the UN Climate Action Summit.
"This is all wrong. I shouldn't be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you... for more than 30 years the science has been crystal clear... you have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words," she berated.
"How dare you continue to look away, and come here saying that you are doing enough when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight."
The teenager has found fierce adversaries in the form of middle-aged men, with high-profile journalists, politicians and celebrities calling out the "self-entitled", "climate freak", "brat" for her blunt and straightforward style of activism.
The AM Show's Duncan Garner previously lambasted the controversial activist in a strongly-worded opinion piece, claiming her "dramatic" UN speech was "counterproductive" and a "turn-off".
Meanwhile, many others around the world have heralded Thunberg as a spokesperson for the generation.
Thunberg responded to her new title on Twitter: "Wow, this is unbelievable! I share this great honour with everyone in the #FridaysForFuture movement and climate activists everywhere #climatestrike."
