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On 24 June 2010 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was abruptly deposed. Julia Gillard was elected unopposed by the Labor caucus as the party’s new leader, and so became Australia’s first female Prime Minister. Acknowledging that the government had lost its way, Gillard moved quickly to change its position on the mining tax and asylum seekers.

Amazed at this rapid transformation of Australia’s political landscape, cartoonists were left wondering what had happened to the popular and confident politician who had led the Labor Party to power in 2007.

Political cartoon depicting Kevin Rudd leaving for and returning from work. In the top half of the cartoon, he strides confidently toward a car. He wears a suit and carries a briefcase. The driver of the car, in uniform, stands and holds the door open for Rudd. Text above the image says 'Rudd leaves for work ...' In the bottom half of the cartoon, he is stuffed into a green wheelie bin, which is being pushed by a man in blue work clothes. His hair is ruffled and his expression is one of astonishment. Text above this half of the cartoon says 'Rudd returns ...' - click to view larger image
'Rudd returns' by Rod Clement
Political cartoon depicting Kevin Rudd tied to a large, bright red rocket. The rocket is moving through space, in a downward trajectory. On its side is written 'Latest poll'. In the grey smoke emitting from one end is written 'Backflips'. A thought bubble emerges from Rudd's head. In it is written '... must attach myself to something going up ... think Kevin! Think! ... interest rates?'. - click to view larger image
'Latest poll' by Sean Leahy
Political cartoon depicting Kevin Rudd, Wayne Swan, Lindsay Tanner and Julia Gillard in a kitchen. On the kitchen benches are enormous piles of dirty dishes. On a stove are several pots, all with their contents burning. Thick black smoke rises up from the pots and hangs in the air. On the door of the kitchen is a sign that says 'Kitchen Cabinet. Authorised Personnel Only'. Kevin Rudd stands at the open door, holding a pot with smoking contents. He calls the following through the door: 'Okay - who wants to help with the washing up?'. - click to view larger image
'Washing up' by Jon Kudelka
Political cartoon depicting Kevin Rudd as the Incredible Hulk. He is monster-sized; his trousers are ripped to shorts and his body is muscular. He holds two people in his hands. One is Tony Abbott and the other is Kerry O'Brien. At the top of the cartoon is written 'The Incredible Sulk'. Text is written around Rudd. It says 'F**kers ratf**king me!', 'Get me a meat-free dinner!', 'You call that a hairdryer?', 'Lazy staff! Work harder!' and 'Copenhagen? Don't get me started'. At the bottom right of the cartoon a group of people run to escape from him. They are identified as voters. One of them is saying 'I thought he was supposed to be green?' A woman stands at the bottom left, looking up at Rudd lovingly. She is identified as 'Therese'. - click to view larger image
'The Incredible Sulk' by Andrew Weldon
Political cartoon depicting Kevin Rudd aboard a Roman galley. The galley is being rowed across sand dunes. Rudd, in a Roman toga, stands looking into the distance. He holds a map and is saying 'We are behind in the polls ... it's obvious what we have to do'. Below the deck can be seen the haggard rowing crew. A speech bubble emerges from the crew; it says 'Get a new navigator! Rudd replies to this by saying 'Ahem ... ! Working you harder is what I had in mind'. - click to view larger image
'New navigator' by Mark Knight
A mostly black and white cartoon that has two panels. In the left panel, Julia Gillard is seen in the basket of a balloon that drifts along just above the ground. The balloon is Kevin Rudd's head. In the right panel, the balloon has detached from the basket and fallen to the ground. There is an expression of shock on Rudd's face. The basket with Gillard continues to drift along above the ground. A smile plays across her face. - click to view larger image
Untitled by Martin
Political cartoon depicting previous and current Australian Labor Party leaders as Roman soldiers. They all stand in a line, facing the same direction. The line features Paul Keating, Bob Hawke, Kim Beazley, Simon Crean, Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard. Each carries two knives; one is thrust into the person behind them while the other is thrust into the back of the person in front of them. There are multiple Paul Keatings and Bob Hawkes, and at least two Kim Beazleys. Under the line, written on a stone facade, is 'ALP – United We Stand'. - click to view larger image
'United we stand' by Alan Moir
Political cartoon depicting Kevin Rudd as Icarus. He is seen in the bottom right of the cartoon, falling from the sky. He wears trousers, a shirt and tie. He leaves a trail of feathers as he falls. The sun is seen in the top left of the cartoon. It is unmistakenly Julia Gillard, with an implacable expression on her face. - click to view larger image
'The fall of Icarudd' by Tom Jellett
Political cartoon depicting Graham Richardson as 'Dr Evil' from the Austin Powers movies and Mark Aribb as 'Mini me' from the same movies. Richardson stands to the right of the cartoon, wearing a grey collarless jacket. He has the pinky finger of his right hand held up to the corner of his mouth. He looks down at 'Mini me' Mark Arbib, who stands to the left in the cartoon. Arbib wears a small version of the same jacket, and has his pinky on his right hand held to his mouth as well. He holds a stick in his left hand. On top of the stick is Kevin Rudd's head. There is blood on the stick. One of the lenses in Rudd's glasses is broken. - click to view larger image
'Mark Arbib – mini me' by John Shakespeare
Political cartoon based upon the painting The Scream, by Edvard Munch. Kevin Rudd is seen standing on a long pier. He faces the viewer; he has both hands at the side of his head and his mouth open as though he were screaming. In the background on the pier stand two people in silhouette. Beyond them is a harbour with two sailing ships on it. The sky is orange and broken into layers by thick, dark wavy lines. Other dark lines appear in the landscape around the harbour. The use of the dark lines reinforces the uneasy feelings suggested by the cartoon. - click to view larger image
'The spill' by Dan Boermans
Political cartoon depicting the entrance to a large cave. At left of the entrance, written on a rockface, is 'Beware the Gillard'. At right of the entrance is a small group of men, wearing only shorts. They have a tattered banner that says 'Liberals'. One of them carries a sword and a shield, and is being forced into the cave by the other men. He looks most reluctant. In the shadows of the cave can be seen a massive dragon-like monster, with a spiny back and large yellow menacing eyes. - click to view larger image
'Beware the Gillard' by Graeme Dazeley
Political cartoon depicting Julia Gillard sitting at a desk. On the desk is a sign that says 'P.M.' She is sitting in a large purple chair. At the left of the cartoon, a man has walked in through a door. He wears a suit, and is saying to Gillard 'You must've broken through the glass ceiling to get here!' She is responding with 'No, just waded through the testosterone quagmire'. - click to view larger image
'Glass ceiling' by Cathy Wilcox
Political cartoon depicting Tony Abbott in parliament. He sits to the left of the cartoon, wearing a suit and with a worried expression on his face. Behind him is Joe Hockey, also in a suit and resting one hand on Abbott's shoulder. Another member of the Liberal party is behind Hockey. At the right of the cartoon is Julia Gillard, who can just be seen in profile. She has an absurdly elongated nose. In front of her are the books seen on the table separating the Government and the Opposition in the House of Representatives. Hockey is saying to Abbott 'All you have to do is defame, insult, malign and vilify her without jeopardising the womens' vote!'. - click to view larger image
'All you have to do' by Matt Golding
Political cartoon depicting John and Janette Howard at home. He is at the left of the cartoon, wearing pyjamas and a dressing gown and carrying a platter with a teapot on it. He has a downtrodden expression on his face. She is sitting at the right of the cartoon in a large blue chair reading a magazine with an image of Julia Gillard on the front. She has a look of annoyance on her face and is saying 'First female prime minister indeed!' In the background is a fireplace with a picture of George W Bush above it. - click to view larger image
'His Master's Voice' by Andrew Dyson
Political cartoon depicting Julia Gillard standing in front of a list on a wall. She wears a green dress and jacket, and a yellow miner's helmet. She holds a marker pen in her right hand. On the list is written 'To Do 1. Appease Billionaires 2. Appease Xenophobes 3. Appease Climate Sceptics'. Item 1 is ticked off on the list. A thought bubble appears near her head. In it is written 'One down ...'. - click to view larger image
'One down' by Jon Kudelka

EXPLORE MORE 2010 cartoons

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Leaders
Election 2010
The new paradigm
Copenhagen
A taxing matter

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