00:00From the strikeouts, to the slam dunks, and everything in between.
00:07The big political plays of 2024, as observed and interpreted by 40 cartoonists from around
00:14the country, are now on show at the Museum of Australian Democracy.
00:18The newspapers are still a legitimate platform, even though it's not perhaps what it once
00:24was.
00:25The fact that you can say things, speak truth to power in our country still is a great honour.
00:32One of Australia's longest-running annual exhibitions, Behind the Lines, offers new
00:36insights on familiar topics, like cost of living pressures, events in the Middle East,
00:43housing and climate change, while this year's theme, No Guts, No Glory, encourages a unique
00:50post-match analysis.
00:52We thought it might be a good metaphor for how you should approach life and politics,
00:56that if you really put yourself out there and you try very hard, then perhaps you can
01:00win, you can be a winner.
01:02Politics can be very competitive, it can be very cut and thrust, so we thought there were
01:05some nice sporting crossovers.
01:07The exhibition also a celebration of 2024's Cartoonist of the Year, who says she was spoiled
01:13for choice when putting pen to paper.
01:16I mean, there's no such thing as a slow news day really, there's always something to talk
01:20about.
01:21But more than funny, the satirical works remind us, cartoons can be a valuable platform for
01:27social and political change.
01:29I do think political cartoonists are very brave, they really do speak truth to power
01:34and I think they're a very important part of the free press that we have in Australia.
01:39You do have to have a strong opinion, you don't have lukewarm cartoons, they don't stand
01:44the middle ground, they say something.
01:46Behind the Lines runs for the next year.
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