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Behind the Lines

The Canberra Times

The Canberra Times is a daily newspaper in Canberra. It was founded in 1926. It reports on the city, and politics, statecraft and administration – the fundamental business of Canberra.

A large robot which looks vaguely like Peter Dutton holds terrified Immigration Minister Andrew Giles in its grasp. Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says, 'Oh, goodness no, Mr Giles! This was only ever designed as cosplay to keep Peter occupied! It was never equipped for actual policy.'

Inheriting the Mecha-Department

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Text reads, 'The Australian Dream Heritage Listing.' People try to navigate an MC Escher-like maze of stairs, with labels like 'Investor tax incentives' and 'Own someone else's home!' One person says, 'And how does it go as shelter?' another says, 'For tax and generational wealth, mainly!'

Australian Dream Heritage Listing

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

The current Dr Who actor, Ncuti Gatwa, and his companion, land the TARDIS in the Jurassic period, where a pterodactyl labelled 'Cumberland City Council' drops same-sex books and a library into a volcano. The Doctor says, 'My apologies! I could've sworn we dialled up 21st century Australia…'

Looks Like a Case for the New Doctor

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

An adult and child in spacesuits leave a hatch that reads 'leaving violence, emergency payment' and reach towards a distant floating house.

Escape Hatch

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Text says, 'Ceasefire now…' In a four-panel comic, a man with a Palestinian flag on his shirt knocks on a building labelled 'International Humanitarian Law.' The building, just a façade, collapses to reveal harried aid workers.

Ceasefire Now

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

The beginnings of a scam email from 'Prince Rishi Sunak' reads 'Dear Beloved Sirs and Madam, Due to political instability in my home country of Brexitlandia, I have a Significant Defence Capability that I would like to transfer to you. Please send AUD$4.6 BILLION to clear the bottlenecks and I will repay your kindness by sending you...' Below, next to balloons labelled 'AUKUS,' UK politicians propose obvious scams to Australian politicians. Defence Minister Richard Marles gives away the security code to a g

Investment Opportunities

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and a naval officer stand on a jetty, the officer operating a remote control. In the sea in front of them is a large ship labelled 'Defence Procurement' with Defence Minister Richard Marles riding the back of it like a jet ski. Marles says, 'Look Albo! No hands!'

Drone Ship

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Text reads, 'Boats make it to shore.' Opposition Leader Peter Dutton looks out on the sea, and a man in a boatload of people says, 'He's asked if we could come back in the week before the next federal election.'

Shore Thing

Peter Broelman, The Canberra Times,

A drunk and swearing former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce lies on the ground near a planter box. A man wearing a 'Nats' t-shirt says, 'That's our Barnaby – man of the streets, ear to the ground, telling it like it is.'

Flat Out

Peter Broelman, The Canberra Times,

Death as the Grim Reaper falls backward from a penny-farthing bicycle. The bike wheel has depictions of Israeli and Hamas leaders, and the words 'dispossession, occupation, war, siege, resistance, rockets and terror'.

The Cycle of Violence

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

An 'Australian referendum guide' booklet shows a mouse stating the case for a 'Yes' vote on one page, and an elephant on a chair in distress for the 'No' vote on the opposite page.

Australian Referendum Guide

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Peter Dutton directs Scott Morrison, Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher in a play about witches. Dutton says, 'Err... O.K. Everyone... this might be a good spot for an intermission...'

The Conspiracy of Witches

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Titled 'Now we are "one": towards net zero expectations by 2030!' Three people with party hats and plates stand around a giant melting ice-cream cake in the form of Anthony Albanese's head.

Net Zero Expectations

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

A crowd of people stare at their phones. In the background, large harvesting machines fly TikTok and Facebook flags. The crowd talk about the risk of TikTok mining data rather than 'buying it on the market like a regular covert influencer.'

Safeguarding Democracy

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

A couple look down on a gravestone-shaped kitchen benchtop inscribed with 'Brad, 1966–2023, Silicosis, Gone too soon'. A third woman says, 'Ignore the woke war on kitchens... you'll find the inscription just polishes right out!'

Engineered-stone Safeguard Mechanism

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse in a room. 'Employee of the year' poster shows the fourth, 'Pestilence', with 'Fires', 'Floods' and 'War' missing out. Fires says to Floods, 'Too bad, Frank... It really felt like it was going to be your year...'

Employee of the Year

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

In an exhibit space, a 'koala' and 'gang-gang' are under a 'Burned out' sign. A 'nurse', 'teacher' and 'ambo' are under a 'Burnout' sign. Text reads, 'Species under threat...'

Endangered Species

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

A space restaurant in the style of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' called 'Rupert's Diner'. Donald Trump and two others sit inside. Rupert Murdoch is behind the bar. Earth is pictured with a sign, 'Help wanted... Enquire within'.

Boulevard of Broken Dreams

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Anthony Albanese is flanked by Boris Johnson and Joe Biden. Albanese wears glasses with a NATO logo on each lens. Biden holds a platter with a black bag with 'Assange' on it.

When Stars Get In Your Eyes

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Anthony Albanese sits on a plane reading briefings and touching a Harry Potter-like scar on his forehead with the text, 'Ow!...??' Peter Dutton as Voldemort is hanging onto the wing of the plane.

You're a Prime Minister, Harry!

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Anthony Albanese holds a small dog while surfing a teal-coloured wave. In the wave are barrels and caricatures of political opponents.

The Wave

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Caricatures of Anthony Albanese and Scott Morrison are at either end of a sausage. Sauce on the bread reads, 'Aus votes'. A wallet, house, medical kit and elderly person are in the fire that's cooking the sausage sandwich.

Aus Votes

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Scott Morrison spills a basket of groceries while tackling a kid wearing a bib with 'Wages' on it. The Minister for Employment is the referee, he holds up a yellow card and says, 'Save it for your tribunal hearing, kid!'

Flattened

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

A child asks her mother how the economy is today. The mother is paddling her car through floodwaters with a 'Vote 1' placard. The mother replies, 'Feeling particularly strong'.

National Housing Emergency

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Scott Morrison is in a hot air balloon with Josh Frydenberg as the balloon. Below, houses in floodwaters are labelled, 'Trust', 'Climate', 'Cost of living' and 'Aged care'.

JoshKeeper 1

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

A van drives past flood-affected houses and residents scouting for photo-op locations, none are suitable. One house has a climate placard, one resident wears a Hawaiian shirt, another holds 'some sort of hose'.

Lismore Flood, Photo Ops Advance Team

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Protestors to vaccine mandates and lockdowns take over the House of Representatives holding placards and playing music. Text reads, 'Meanwhile, at the camp of the "sovereign backbench..."'

Camp of the Sovereign Bench

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Scott Morrison holds a carboard sign saying, 'Bonjour electeurs! It's not a race!' Cyclists with Australian states on their bibs try to cycle past. COVID is also on a bike.

Rollout de Vax

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Michaelia Cash says, 'Don't blink' to Karen Andrews. Underneath Andrews' 'Home Affairs' desk a sick child is locked in a cage. Peter Dutton depicted with one eye is outside watching.

Home to Bilo

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Scott Morrison sits at a 'Spin doctor' booth. He gaslights a member of the public into thinking it's their fault the vaccine rollout was slow. Text reads: 'New taxpayer-funded gaslight station'.

Gaslight Station

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Mike Pezzullo, Peter Dutton and Andrew Hastie play music in a 'War' band. Below, Marise Payne knits, there is a 'Diplomacy, sweet diplomacy' sign on her wall.

The Drums of War

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Christine Holgate is dressed in white carrying a mail satchel. Scott Morrison is a postage box, with boxes labelled 'Bullying, crony board appointments, privitisation plan, unlawful dismissal'.

Returned to Sender

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Scott Morrison sits behind a desk asking, 'How's it all going?' Behind him is a trophy with the gender symbol for women, the inscription reads, 'I stopped these'. An advisor briefs a litany of bureaucratic delays into an inquiry.

Inquiring Minds

Peter Broelman, The Canberra Times,

Scott Morrison sits in front of an 'Abuse Survivor Stories' garden. Grace Tame is behind him holding a water can saying, 'Perhaps start by holding a watering can then, and work your way up to a hose...'

Grace

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Parliament House is surrounded by a bubble in the shape of the gender symbol for men, a circle with an arrow pointing diagonally up to the right.

The Canberra Bubble

Peter Broelman, The Canberra Times,

Donald Trump walks across a zebra crossing. Further up the street a man holding two bags stands in front of a line of tanks. The man looks at Trump and says, 'Er... not helping'.

Not Helping

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Two men in two panels, one at Juukan Gorge, one at Bamyan Cliffs. They blow up sacred sites. They say, 'Humanity's cultural heritage must not stand as an affront... to the profit'.

Rio Tinto Blows It

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Scott Morrison and another man stand between a 'Public health contact tracing app' sign and a sign of Peter Dutton's face as the 'Department of Home Affairs'. A tape measure is on the floor. They discuss 'physical distancing'.

A Measure of Trust

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

People in lifeboats shaped as tents in rough seas. They try to reach each other with ropes.

Holding Together, Keeping Apart

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Two people face away from a large black wave called 'Climate change'. They look at a graph and say, 'Oh good. We're flattening the curve!'

Flattening, Flattening

Peter Broelman, The Canberra Times,

A man in a hazmat suit brushes over the head of a soldier. Helmet reads 'PTSD'. In the background are mountains and a compound with people looking on.

The Next Decade

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Paul Keating drives a racecar with 17% on the bonnet, asking 'How're the nervous nellies?' referring to the 'back benchers' looking distressed on the back seat.

How're the Nervous Nellies?

Geoff Pryor, The Canberra Times

Malcolm Fraser as a police officer posts a 'Wanted' sign with the assistance of John Howard next to a prison window with broken bars. The Wanted sign says 'Dangerous Escapees: Wages, Prices, Interest Rates'.

Wanted: Dangerous Escapees: Wages, prices, Interest Rates

Geoff Pryor, The Canberra Times,

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