Tag Archives: Abbott

Circus Oz 2018

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Spare a thought for the editor of Australia’s annual political cartoon anthology who regularly finds Australian politics imploding right on deadline.

Cover, Best Australian Political Cartoons 2018

This is the 16th edition of Russ Radcliffe’s annual survey of Australian politics, as drawn by the nation’s cartoonists. Russ writes a handy introductory essay on the year that was, and includes a liberal helping of political quotes to accompany the collection of cartoons.

Available in all good bookshops etc, or via the publisher Scribe.

Cartoon, Lord of the Flies in the Liberal Party room Cartoon, Liberal Party mutiny

And one more, drawn after the anthology deadline, to complete a leadership triptych…

Cartoon, Cirque du Scomo

(The Canberra Times, 24, 25 August, 6 November, 2018 | Gallery of most recent cartoons)

Stick a fork in the myth of Moderate Mal, it’s done

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Cartoon: PM blames failure of National Electricity Market on renewable energy

The government is trying to blame failures in the National Electricity Market on renewable energy. Ross Gittins sees the sleight of hand; Richard Denniss deploys a nice metaphor using prawns to completely demolish the stage.

Inside Parliament, ministers brandished a lump of coal; outside, Professor Clive Hamilton resigned from the Climate Change Authority. It is “crystal clear that the Government has no interest in sensible climate change policy”:

Letter: Clive Hamilton resigns from the Climate Change Authority

Cartoon: political climate change affecting the Liberal Party

(The Canberra Times, 11 and 7 January 2017 | Gallery of most recent cartoons)

Turnbull kills off Abbott’s Green Army

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“The decision will be handed down in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook on December 19”

Funded by cutting Landcare, a risible fig leaf for the Coalition’s nakedness on climate policy, and underfunded as a proper employment program, there were lots of reasons to facepalm Tony’s Green Army plan. But I can’t celebrate its demise. “It is not an environmental program. It is an employment program, and a bad one at that” said Greens leader Di Natale, Shouldn’t we be trying to develop programs that are both? Sounds like it was a good experience for many participants; was there scope to improve it? A voluntary scheme for unemployed kids, working with local groups, add a little more citizen science training to the environmental remediation work, and improve the pay rates?

Cartoon: Malcolm Turnbull kills off Tony Abbott's Green Army

(The Canberra Times, 6 December 2016 | Gallery of most recent cartoons)