Right: Australia is not the only country which lampoons its leaders in TV series. US President George W Bush also had "his" cartoon counterpart, as shown in this scene, which also features California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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Background information
Political satire in Australia
(This is a slightly extended version of a description of Australian political satire to be found at the National Film and Archive Internet site. The original can be read at http://dl.nfsa.gov.au/module/1424/ )
Australia has a rich political history. A significant part of this history is political satire; this allows society to see the 'underbelly' of the political process and to gain insights into governmental behaviour and decision making.
Political satire in Australia is most often seen in the form of cartoons or television programs. The first political cartoon published in an Australian newspaper appeared in 1835 in the Cornwall Chronicle in Launceston, Tasmania. Many of Australia's major newspapers continue to feature political satire cartoons as part of their daily editorial. With the arrival of television in Australia, political satire soon moved into this medium in the form of shows such as The Mavis Bramston Show, The Gillies Report, Rubbery Figures, The Games, The Glasshouse and The Chaser's War on Everything.
Many contemporary topics are covered by political satirists. Climate change, terrorism, economics, the environment, elections and government 'indiscretions' are often targets for political satire. Often the satirists will interpret a topic in such a way that will expose the real substance of it, frequently allowing people to gain a better understanding of the topic and to be better informed. Political satire performs an important role in Australia's democratic society; it is a potent device that can expand awareness of the matters that affect all Australians.
The following links are to YouTube clips of
a) a mid 1980s 'Gillies Report' segment satirising then Prime Minister Bob Hawke
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrZy8ornRxQ
b) a 1988 'Rubbery Figures' segment satirising public figures including Prime Minister Hawke and federal Treasurer, Paul Keating http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-ZUR9ialFc&feature=related
c) a segment from the 1998 Clarke and Dawe's series 'The Games' dealing with the behind-the-scenes complications of the Sydney Olympics. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teoL6FKEtCY
d) highlights of the 2005 season of ABC-TV's 'The Glass House' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAGywtzeNyE
e) a 2006 segment from 'The Chaser's War on Everything' dealing with airport security http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3grHjibNdA
Codes of ethics, practice and the law
Political satire has a long tradition in western democracies and is seen as an important element in furthering political debate. Those who engage in it are generally allowed more leeway than journalists or current affairs commentators.
In addition to laws defining and prohibiting libel, slander, defamation and discrimination, there is an Australian Journalists' Association Code of Ethics outlining what is acceptable practice for Australian journalists. It needs to be stressed, however, that entertainers and political satirists are not generally classified as journalists. The ABC operates under a Code of Practice which attempts to cover all its types of content - news and current affairs, opinion, topical and factual, and performance.
The Journalists' code includes:
* Accept the right to privacy of every person. Public figures' privacy may be reduced by their public role. Relatives and friends of those in the public eye retain their own right to privacy.
* Do not place unnecessary emphasis on personal characteristics including race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation, family relationships, religious belief or physical or mental disability.
The full text of the Australian Journalists' Association Code of Ethics can be found at http://www.gwb.com.au/99a/ethics.html
The ABC's code of practice includes:
* the use of language, sound or images for no other purpose but to offend is not acceptable;
* content should not use language or images which disparage or discriminate against any person or group on grounds such as race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, age, disability or sexual preference; marital, parental, social or occupational status; religious, cultural or political belief or activity;
* content should not make demeaning or gratuitous references; for example to, people's physical characteristics, cultural practices or religious beliefs.
The full text of the ABC's Code of Practice can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/corp/pubs/documents/200806_codeofpractice-revised_2008.pdf