A public broadcaster and a political party now find themselves tangled over a beloved children's cartoon, where a question of who owns a character becomes a question of who gets to speak through it. Across the same day, Australia's parliament carried the strain of rising prices and the ache of ordinary households, blaming fuel shocks abroad while the opposition and government traded doubts about credibility. In the long habit of public life, a joke, a grant, and a cost of living can all become one contest over trust, and the matter now waits on whether the parties choose negotiation or the cou
ABC Demands One Nation Remove Bluey Cartoons as Question Time Ejections Mount
The ABC does not own the intellectual property for Bluey.
Mark
Why is the ABC the one making this demand if it doesn't own Bluey?
Mimi
That's the awkward part. The ABC says plainly it doesn't hold the intellectual property. It broadcasts the show, and it's talking with BBC Studios and Ludo, the creators.
Mark
So what can it actually do?
Luke
Right now, not much that's confirmed. It says it is considering options. Asking for removal is a demand, not an enforcement action.
Mark
The communications minister backed it, though.
Mimi
She said the ABC is well within its rights to be concerned, and called Bluey one of Australia's most loved exports. That's support for the concern, not a promise of action.
Luke
Worth noting we haven't heard from One Nation in this account, so we don't know its response or whether it will comply.
Mark
Meanwhile, parliament was ejecting people left and right.
Mimi
Two ejections today, Llew O'Brien for swearing and Darren Chester, the most of any day this week.
Mark
And the golf club grant?
Luke
The prime minister admitted he was wrong about the raw sewage claim. What's still contested is the grant's purpose, and the minister points to the released decision brief.
O Pulso
- The ABC demands One Nation immediately strip Bluey-based cartoons from its platforms, arguing the broadcaster does not own the intellectual property at the heart of the fight.
- Question time boils over as Llew O'Brien is thrown out for three hours after swearing, and Darren Chester becomes the second MP ejected.
- Hotter-than-expected inflation figures land just before question time, sharpening the opposition's attack on Labor and Treasurer Jim Chalmers' blame on Middle East oil prices.
- The Marrickville golf club grant keeps unraveling Labor's account, with Albanese admitting he got the sewage claim wrong.
- The ABC weighs its options with BBC Studios and Ludo, and the next move, compliance or legal action, remains open.
A public broadcaster and a political party now find themselves tangled over a beloved children's cartoon, where a question of who owns a character becomes a question of who gets to speak through it. Across the same day, Australia's parliament carried the strain of rising prices and the ache of ordinary households, blaming fuel shocks abroad while the opposition and government traded doubts about credibility. In the long habit of public life, a joke, a grant, and a cost of living can all become one contest over trust, and the matter now waits on whether the parties choose negotiation or the courts.
The ABC has pressed again for One Nation to take down a cartoon in which Bluey, the much-loved children's character, runs over politicians with an SUV. The broadcaster's managing director, Hugh Marks, first raised the matter in Senate estimates after learning of a possible breach of intellectual property. The ABC says it does not own Bluey's rights, and it wants the cartoons removed immediately and never used again, while it considers its options alongside BBC Studios and the Brisbane creators, Ludo. Communications minister Anika Wells said the broadcaster was well within its rights to be concerned, calling Bluey one of Australia's most loved exports.
The cartoon was only one thread of a volatile day in parliament. Inflation figures came in hotter than expected just before question time, and the opposition leader, Angus Taylor, pressed Albanese on whether Labor's spending was squeezing families. Chalmers blamed petrol prices and the Middle East conflict. Tempers flared, and Llew O'Brien was removed for three hours for swearing, with Darren Chester ejected soon after.
The Marrickville golf club grant, a $6m project, continued to dog the government. Albanese conceded he had been wrong to say it would stop raw sewage entering the river, and the decision brief showed it was assessed against public criteria. Elsewhere, a bill targeting AI deepfakes passed the House, prompted by a fake video that falsely spoke in the name of senator Jacqui Lambie. For now, the question is whether One Nation complies, or whether the ABC and its partners turn talks into court.
The ABC has repeated its demand that One Nation take down a cartoon in which Bluey, the much-loved children's character, repeatedly runs over politicians with an SUV. The broadcaster pressed the point on Wednesday, a day after its managing director, Hugh Marks, raised it in Senate estimates.
Marks told estimates that he learned last week of a potential breach of intellectual property rights by One Nation and sought legal advice. An ABC spokesperson said that, as Marks had stated, the ABC does not own the intellectual property for Bluey. The broadcaster is considering its options. In the meantime, it says the cartoons should be removed immediately from One Nation's platforms and not used again. Bluey's international distributor, BBC Studios, and its Brisbane-based creators, Ludo, have been in discussions with the ABC about the matter.
The communications minister, Anika Wells, also weighed in earlier in the day. She said the ABC is well within its rights to be concerned about One Nation's use of Bluey, which she called one of Australia's biggest, most loved and best-known exports.
The cartoon was only one thread of a loud day in parliament, where hotter-than-expected inflation figures landed just before question time. The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, opened by asking whether Anthony Albanese would accept that his treasurer was wrong and that Labor's spending was making families and small businesses pay more. The prime minister said Australians feel the cost of living every day, that economies worldwide face serious challenges, and that they will not be solved overnight. Treasurer Jim Chalmers later pointed to the Middle East conflict, saying petrol prices were the biggest driver of the latest numbers and that the opposition lacked credibility for refusing to acknowledge higher global oil prices.
Tempers frayed. Llew O'Brien, the member for Wide Bay, was thrown out for three hours for swearing, with the speaker, Milton Dick, saying such language would not be accepted. Nationals MP Darren Chester became the second member ejected, making it the most ejections of any question time this week. Dick told him people are passionate about issues but that this is not how to conduct oneself in the house. Later he warned the manager of opposition business, Dan Tehan, against a growing war of tabling after Tehan tried to table a long list of documents about the Marrickville golf club grant.
That $6m grant keeps trailing Labor. Liberal MP Mary Aldred asked why the infrastructure department had confirmed the money was not for addressing sewerage flows when the minister had said it was. Infrastructure minister Catherine King replied that the decision brief, which has been released, shows the project was assessed against publicly available criteria and found to be value for money. Albanese admitted on Tuesday that he got it wrong when he told parliament the grant was meant to stop raw sewage entering the nearby river.
Elsewhere, independent MP Zali Steggall asked whether the government would make it illegal to create and spread AI-generated deepfakes, citing a recent video targeting senator Jacqui Lambie that put false statements in her name and increased threats against her. Albanese said the government takes the issue very seriously and that its digital duty of care is partly aimed at it. That bill passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
Outside the chamber, Greens leader David Shoebridge told the National Press Club that Labor is his party's main target as it seeks to double its vote and replace the government. The Star Entertainment Group was fined $260m in the federal court, short of the $400m sought by Austrac. Clive Palmer's company was fined $10,000 over a 2012 takeover offence at the Coolum resort. A 39-year-old man was charged in Lithgow after allegedly threatening a federal parliamentarian on social media.
What to watch: whether One Nation removes the cartoons, and whether the ABC, BBC Studios and Ludo move from discussions to legal action.
Citações Notáveis
The ABC is well within its rights to be concerned about One Nation's use of Bluey.— Anika Wells, communications minister
The ABC does not own the intellectual property for Bluey.— ABC spokesperson
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