12 March 2003
A topical cartoon on the search for weapons of mass destruction by Fairfax contributor Ron Tandberg has been unanimously judged Australia's best political cartoon of 2002.
The cartoon won the People's Choice Award two months after former politicians Barry Jones and Ian Sinclair also judged it the winner of the Australian Political Humour Competition.
'This is the first time in the seven years the National Museum of Australia has curated this exhibition, that the political judges have agreed with the people,' said Guy Hansen, curator of the Cartoons 2002: Life, Love and Politics exhibition.
'Ron's winning cartoon is simple and concise and remains even more relevant than when it first appeared last September.'
'Receipts', published in The Age, is one of 100 cartoons and sculptures now on display as part of Cartoons 2002 at the National Museum in Canberra.
Visitors judged 'Howard's Use By Date' by Eric Lobbecke from The Sunday Telegraph the second most popular cartoon, closely followed by 'Walkies' from The Australian's Peter Nicholson.
National Museum Director Dawn Casey presented Ron Tandberg with his second award as part of the Museum's second anniversary celebrations in the Hall on Wednesday 12 March.
'What this award is saying is that the people of Australia are no longer as gullible as Australian politicians think they are,' Mr Tandberg said.
'When I first penned this cartoon I was thrilled. I like my work to look harmless but to have impact and the little quip here has much more meaning than first meets the eye.'
Cartoons 2002 ends its successful Canberra run on Monday then goes on show at the Constitutional Centre in Perth from 17 April 27 June and the National Wool Museum in Geelong from 16 July 21 September.
For more information or copies of the winning cartoon please contact Martin Portus on 02 6208 5351 or 0409 916 481 or email m.portus@nma.gov.au