Fiona Katauskas' work has also appeared in ABC's The Drum, New Matilda, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian, The Financial Review and Scribe's Best Australian political cartoon anthologies.
Topic tags: Fiona Katauskas, Abbott, Putin, APEC, federal politics
If there's one thing that the recent election campaign and its outcome demonstrated, it's the depth of the divisions that exist in our Australian community.
Our politics is focused on point-scoring, personalities, and name-calling across party lines. The media, for the most part, don't help, driven by the 24-hour news cycle and the pursuit of advertising dollars into a frenzy of click-bait and shallow sensationalism.
What does it mean to be an Australian in times like these? What are the values that unite us?
Eureka Street offers an alternative. It's less a magazine than a wide ranging conversation about the issues that matter in our country and our world; a conversation marked by respect for the dignity of ALL human beings.
Importantly, it's a conversation that takes place in the open, unhindered by paywalls or excessive advertising. And it's through the support of people like you that it is able to do so.
And your opinion on the nearly 300 innocent people who died, Fiona? Is that crickets I hear?
Two tone Tony.
Funny.
Hi Marg, I didn't mention the innocent people who died because that was not what the cartoon was about. This is not to imply in any way that Putin is right or that he shouldn't be called to account. Instead the cartoon questions Abbott's approach of loud chest thumping and threats of "shirtfronting" which were for a domestic audience and from which he backed down when he actually met Putin face to face at APEC. Cheers Fiona
Wow Marg! Im astounded that even you could miss the point of that cartoon by so, so, so far. It's easy for Abbott to be the big schoolyard bully and to talk tough - but it hasnt really helped those 298 people who lost their lives nor their families or loved ones. And when he does get the chance to put his words into action, he goes to water. Give me Julie Bishop any day!
There is no proof either way about who brought down MH17. Abbott was grandstanding & is and will always be a lightweight. It suited his domestic political agenda to use the unfortunates who died.
Marg, Russia had zero to do with the plane.
Well, things have changed overnight and Abbott didn't actually back down with Putin. I'd done the cartoon based on news from Monday in which it looked as though there wouldn't be a confrontation after all. Apologies, Eureka St readers for my incorrect predictions!
Credit to you, Fiona, for your apology.
Oh Fiona, don't apologise! I thought this was great because whether the conversation was serious and frank, your cartoon highlights the stupidity of Tony Abbott's words. As a leader, he lack gravitas and diplomacy and most Australians are sick of him. I knew someone who died on the plane and do not believe this cartoon diminishes the tragedy at all. Thanks for your work and wit!
I doubt if there will be an official record of conversation (Abbott/Putin), so we have to depend on press releases. If Abbott did say Australia has intelligence/information that indicates it was a Russian weapon that brought down the MH17 Putin might well have shrugged his shoulders and replied: "Who are you kidding, Tony? Remember I was a colonel in the KGB. I know all about fabricating intelligence/information."
Dear Fiona, thanks for your reply. I understood from the first that you were not excusing Putin from anything. My concern with this cartoon, and many others of yours, is that you are so focused on Abbott's shortcomings, that you risk trivialising serious issues. Also, I would welcome cartoons that comment on aspects of the stories other than Abbott.. However, it does you credit that you acknowledged you had called Abbott's response incorrectly. I prefer this to Jennine Lennox's response. She would seemingly prefer truth to be sacrificed for the sake of ridiculing Abbott. Cheers back at you. Marg
Fiona I note your apology for misrepresenting the facts. Curious though that Eureka Street still has your cartoon on the site.
I appreciate these cartoons, good on eureka
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Fiona Katauskas' work has also appeared in ABC's The Drum, New Matilda, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian, The Financial Review and Scribe's Best Australian political cartoon anthologies.