Copenhagen | National Museum of Australia

As the year began, climate change remained the most contentious issue in Australian politics.

Many people felt dismay over the failure of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen to deliver a binding agreement on carbon emissions. And the Rudd government's decision to shelve its legislation for an Emissions Trading Scheme disappointed many Labor supporters.

In the broader community, the government's credibility was seen to have been severely damaged, and cartoonists reflected this sense of disillusionment.

Political cartoon depicting a snow dome. In the dome is a snowman that resembles Kevin Rudd. Fake snow is falling around him. Around the base of the snowdome is written 'Copenhagen'. A sign leaning against the right side of the snowdome says 'half price'. - click to view larger image — 'Copenhagen ½ price' by Patrick Cook

Political cartoon depicting a group of people standing around a very large basket with the sign 'Too Hard' on its side. In the basket is the planet Earth. One of the group has his hands up and is saying 'Now, if we can just agree on a way to get it out of there ...' Across the top of the cartoon is written 'The Copenhagen Challenge'. - click to view larger image — 'The Copenhagen challenge' by Fiona Katauskas

Political cartoon depicting Kevin Rudd and Penny Wong standing near a large steam engine mounted on a brick plinth. A large upside-down funnel emerges from the engine. Rudd and Wong stand directly underneath it, looking up into it. The funnel is labelled 'Output'. What appears to be a tiny circle of smoke drifts down out of the funnel. Rudd is saying 'We could call that "zero emission", couldn't we?'. - click to view larger image — 'Zero emission' by Pat Campbell

Political cartoon depicting three people sitting at a table. At left is an environmentalist with a bicycle and placards that say 'No Cars' and 'End of the World!' The environmentalist wears a black and red bandanna with a propellor on top, and has a whistle in their mouth. In the middle, behind the table, sits what appears to be a moderator, dressed in suit. He has his hands up and is saying 'Now ... let's have a sensible conversation ...' On the table in front of him is a sign that says 'The Climate Debate'. To the right sits a climate change denialist, in a suit and top hat. He has a bass drum and cymbals on his back. On the bass drum is written 'The Denialists'. He has two placards that say 'A commie plot' and 'It's all a hoax!'. - click to view larger image — 'Now...let's have a sensible conversation' by Alan Moir

Political cartoon depicting Tony Abbott as a monk. He is at the top of a very tall chimney, which is belching smoke. Below him is the roof of what appears to be a factory. More chimneys are visible in the background, also belching smoke. He is shouting down to a group of people at the base of the chimney. He's shouting 'Virgins!! Bring me virgins!!' At the top left of the cartoon is written 'Climate Change Policy'. - click to view larger image — 'Virgins!! Bring me virgins!!' by David Rowe

Political cartoon depicting a group of penguins, seen from above. They are forming themselves into the word 'help'. The first three letters of the word are complete. The letter 'p' is incomplete - it looks like a letter 'f'. Two penguins approach the last letter from the bottom centre of the cartoon, intent on helping to complete the letter. - click to view larger image — 'Helf' by Judy Horacek

Political cartoon depicting two people, both bent over with their heads obscured. The person on the left has their head buried in soil. A duck looks at the person. Under the person and the duck is written 'Before'. The person on the right, most likely the same person, has their head submerged in water. The duck is seen again, however this time it's floating on the water's surface. Under the person and the duck is written 'After'. At the top of the cartoon is written 'Global Warming – Two Positions'. - click to view larger image — 'Global warming – two positions' by Matthew Martin

Political cartoon depicting Kevin Rudd wearing military clothing from the Napoleonic period. His hat has 'ETS' on the front. Like Napoleon, he has one hand thrust into his coat. He is riding a tired white horse. Around them blows a harsh wind and snow flurries. The ground is covered in snow and the background sky is dark and ominous. - click to view larger image — 'Rudd's dangerous climate retreat' by Eric Löbbecke

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