Australia’s national broadcaster plans to issue a cease-and-desist letter to the populist party One Nation over an animated political video featuring the children’s television character Bluey driving an SUV into politicians, drawing legal threats and a warning about political violence.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation announced its legal move during a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday, targeting a 2024 video from One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s online cartoon series titled Please Explain. Managing Director Hugh Marks told lawmakers that the broadcaster sought legal advice after learning of the animation last week, concluding it represents a breach of intellectual property.
We will be taking further action, I can assure you.
The three-minute episode, named The State of Melbourne, depicts caricatures of former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese inside an SUV that strikes Bluey and television presenter Robert Irwin. The politicians are subsequently shown placing the victims’ bodies into the vehicle’s trunk, before Bluey takes the wheel in a retaliatory sequence running over the politicians.
BBC Studios Handles Distribution for Ludo Studio Creation
The ABC does not directly own the copyright for the globally recognized children’s show. Created by Brisbane-based Ludo Studio, the program’s international distribution is handled by BBC Studios.
Marks stated that One Nation never requested permission to use the character. He dismissed arguments that the animation qualifies as satire or fair use, telling the committee that the production does not constitute a parody of any existing work by the creators.
It’s not a parody of any Bluey work. It’s not a minor use of the intellectual property. In my view, it is an infringement of the intellectual property.
The broadcaster has been in contact with both BBC Studios and Ludo Studio regarding the unauthorized deployment. In addition to demanding the video’s removal from online platforms, Marks indicated that the corporation may also seek financial damages.
Political Fallout Amid Scrutiny Over Public Safety
The controversy emerged during questioning by Western Australian Labor Senator Varun Ghosh, who chairs the communications committee. Ghosh pointed out that while the cartoon was published two years ago, its resurfacing carries heightened poignancy following a recent vehicle-ramming incident involving an independent lawmaker.
Independent MP Helen Haines lost both legs after being struck by a vehicle outside her northern Victorian electorate office on October 19. Describing One Nation’s utilization of the children’s icon as heinous
in light of that assault, lawmakers pressed executives on the boundaries of political expression.
Communications Minister Anika Wells supported the broadcaster’s stance during an interview on ABC Radio National, emphasizing that the institution is fully justified in protecting a national export.
Bluey is one of Australia’s biggest, most loved, most well-known exports. I think the ABC is well within its right to be concerned here.
Barnaby Joyce Defends Political Expression in Cartoons
Defending the production, One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce argued that critics were exhibiting an excessive intolerance toward political expression, warning that heavy restrictions risk sanitizing discourse beyond satire.
Party leader Pauline Hanson denied that the cartoons breached any intellectual property rights. The disputed video, which has accumulated more than 1.3 million views, remained accessible on YouTube.
The dispute coincides with a string of separate controversies involving the Please Explain series. Other episodes have drawn widespread condemnation, including content mocking Senator Jacqui Lambie’s vaginal prolapse—an item Hanson later apologized for and removed—and a South Australian campaign booth incident distributing a coloring book that depicted Bluey being threatened at knifepoint.