Victoria
Jacqui Lambie demands One Nation cartoon creator quit election
Senator Jacqui Lambie has called on a Victorian One Nation candidate to withdraw from the upcoming election over a cartoon dispute.
Senator Jacqui Lambie has demanded that a One Nation candidate contesting the upcoming Victorian election withdraw from the race, following a dispute over the party's satirical cartoon series. The Tasmanian senator called on the candidate, who is the creator of the Pauline Hanson’s One Nation "Please Explain" animated videos, to pull out of his bid for an upper house seat in next month's state election.
According to reporting by the wire service, the candidate has flatly rejected Senator Lambie's demands. The cartoon maker has refused to apologise for the content of the online animations and has instead told the senator to "get a reality check" as the campaign for the Victorian legislative council intensifies.
The dispute centres on the animated "Please Explain" cartoons, which frequently caricature political figures. While the specific details of the animation that prompted Senator Lambie's anger have not been fully detailed in the initial reports, the fallout has quickly escalated into a public clash. Senator Lambie has made it clear that she believes the candidate's position is untenable and that he should immediately withdraw from the Victorian ballot.
Despite the pressure from the federal senator, the One Nation candidate remains defiant. He has defended his creative work, asserting his right to produce the satirical content and refusing to back down from either his candidacy or his creative role. One Nation has not indicated any plans to disendorse the candidate or alter its campaign strategy for the legislative council ahead of the November poll.
It remains to be seen whether the ongoing dispute will affect One Nation's polling performance or lead to further interventions from federal political figures in the Victorian election campaign.
This report draws on original reporting by Wire report.
Dedicated to a Stronger Victoria.
A message from the editor, October
Every story here is free to read. Only readers keep it that way.
We take no government money, run no paywall, and answer to nobody in Spring Street. That independence is paid for by a small number of readers, not the many who benefit from it. If just one in a hundred of today's readers gave $8 a month, our Victorian politics coverage would be funded for the year.
- Funds reporting, not shareholders
- Cancel in one click, anytime
- Supporter badge and reply access
Prefer a one-off? Send a tip. It takes about twenty seconds.