And Mr Hadley wasted no time returning serve to Mr Martin, calling him a “lowlife bludger”, a “half-wit” and a “low bastard” during an explosive tirade on his top-rating program last Friday.

Click on the audio link to the right to hear Ray Hadley's tirade and click on the link at the end of the story to read Gerard Martin's full valedictory speech

Mr Martin, who is quitting state politics after 12 years as the Member for Bathurst, began his valedictory speech last Friday by thanking his family, colleagues, staff and supporters.

He also listed his achievements for the electorate – including a new $100 million hospital in Bathurst and securing the relocation of the Office of State Revenue to Lithgow – before turning his attention to the media’s treatment of politicians.

While claiming he did not wish to turn his final speech into “a session in beating up on the media” and saying he had a good relationship with the local media in his electorate, Mr Martin urged his colleagues not to “suck up” to what he called metropolitan shock jocks.

Who do you respect more - Gerard Martin or Ray Hadley? Vote in our online poll and leave your comments below

“All I would say is that as far as I am concerned the Ray Hadleys of this world have got no ethics,” Mr Martin said.

“They are there to make money – and it is quite scandalous the sort of money they earn. But we are there at their beck and call.”

Mr Hadley, who was on air as Mr Martin delivered his speech, responded angrily, accusing Mr Martin of cowardice for only attacking him while protected by parliamentary privilege.

“I’ll tell you what, when it comes to having no scruples, you’re captain, coach and sole selector,” Mr Hadley taunted.

“The difference is, of course, you may wish to sue me because I’m saying it here. You have no guts. Go outside parliament and say I’ve got no ethics and see how I bore it up you, you lowlife bludger.”

The exchange continued a year-long feud between the pair, sparked by Mr Martin’s handling of complaints by one his constituents.

Velma McFadden’s husband Kevin died at their Cullen Bullen home in September 2009 when ambulances got lost trying to find their property.

Mrs McFadden contacted Mr Hadley’s program last November and broke down in tears at Mr Martin’s poor response to her push for answers from the NSW Ambulance Service.

During his speech on Friday, Mr Martin recalled taking a phone call from Mr Hadley about the issue.

“I got a phone call. An ambulance supposedly had not turned up to an accident. Apparently there were three of them,” Mr Martin said.

“To cut a long story short, I got ambushed and suddenly I had this bloke yelling at me down the phone, saying, ‘When are you going to get off your backside and do something about this?’

“I tried to talk reasonably to him but I did not think I was making much headway, so I just suggested that he was a thug and bully and hung up. The Premier [Nathan Rees, who was in Bathurst with Mr Martin] got a message and said to me, ‘My media people just rang me. Apparently you hung up on Ray Hadley’.

“I said, ‘Yes. Why?’ He said, ‘You are not supposed to do that’, and I said, ‘It’s too late’.”

Mr Hadley slammed Mr Martin’s recollection of the incident.

“You lying lowlife,” Mr Hadley said.

“The ambulance didn’t turn up to the death of a man who suffered a heart attack and his poor wife Velma … eventually got an apology from the ambulance service because the bloody ambulance didn’t turn up at the right address because it wasn’t equipped with the necessary GPS equipment to get it to the right address.

“You see, that’s what he thinks of his constituents, this lowlife bludger.”