Politics · Australia · 3 hrs ago
ABC asks One Nation to remove political cartoons featuring Bluey
Australia’s ABC has called on One Nation to remove cartoons featuring Bluey and stop using the character in future political material.
Bluey is the central character in a popular Australian children’s television series about a family of dogs.
One Nation, led by Pauline Hanson, published a 2024 cartoon showing Bluey driving a car over a politician, and later made another video using the character.
The ABC says the use was unauthorised and is considering legal action, although it does not own Bluey’s intellectual property; the character was created by Ludo Studio, and BBC Studios distributes the show.
The cartoons drew renewed attention after independent MP Helen Haines was hit by a car in an incident police are treating as deliberate; she lost both legs, and a man has been charged over the alleged attack.
One Nation denies that its cartoons breached intellectual property rights, while ABC managing director Hugh Marks has called the depiction shocking and disrespectful.
The ABC wants the cartoons removed and no further use, and says it is considering its options with the rights holder.
Australia’s national broadcaster ABC has called on Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party to remove cartoons featuring Bluey and stop using the character.
The cartoons include a 2024 depiction of Bluey driving a car over an Australian politician.
ABC managing director Hugh Marks said the use may infringe intellectual property rights and called it shocking and disrespectful.
The cartoons drew renewed attention after independent lawmaker Helen Haines was allegedly deliberately hit by a car on Oct 19 and lost both legs.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson denied that the cartoons breached intellectual property rights.
- Who
- Australia’s national broadcaster ABC and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party.
- What
- ABC called for cartoons featuring Bluey to be removed from One Nation’s platforms and for no further use of the character.
- When
- ABC made the call on Oct 28, 2026. The cartoons were released in 2024.
- Where
- Australia; the cartoons appeared on One Nation’s platforms.
- Why
- ABC is concerned about the unauthorised use of Bluey, which it says may infringe intellectual property rights. The cartoons drew attention after the alleged attack on Helen Haines.
ABC
One Nation
Use of Bluey
ABC
ABC says the cartoons use the character without authorisation and may infringe intellectual property rights.
One Nation
Pauline Hanson denied that the cartoons breached intellectual property rights.
What should happen
ABC
ABC called for the cartoons to be removed and for no further use of Bluey.
One Nation
One Nation’s response quoted in the article said ABC managing director Hugh Marks had contempt for the party and its voters.
One Nation released a cartoon depicting Bluey driving a car over an Australian politician.
Independent MP Helen Haines was allegedly hit by a car in an attack police are treating as deliberate, and lost both legs.
Hugh Marks told a Senate committee he had recently learned of the cartoon and said ABC was considering legal action.
ABC called on One Nation to remove the relevant cartoons and stop further use of Bluey.
- Cartoon year
- 2024
- Character
- Bluey
- ABC managing director
- Hugh Marks
- One Nation leader
- Pauline Hanson
- Haines attack date
- Oct 19, 2026
- Haines’s injuries
- Lost both legs
6 sources
Stop using Bluey, Australian broadcaster tells Pauline Hanson’s far-right party
Australia’s ABC tells far-right party to stop using ‘Bluey’ character
ABC boss calls One Nation's Bluey cartoon 'shocking and disrespectful' – video
ABC tells One Nation to remove cartoon with violent depiction of Bluey
What people are saying
It is an infringement of the intellectual property, number one, but it's also a shocking use of, you know, Australia's most loved character
In the meantime, the ABC considers the relevant cartoons should be immediately removed from One Nation’s platforms and no further use should occur.
I think the ABC is well within its right to be concerned here.
He cannot hide his contempt for One Nation and its voters. He exists in a parallel universe from most everyday Australians.