GetUp pull controversial Tony Abbott drowning advert following backlash
GETUP has pulled a controversial anti-Tony Abbott election advert following criticism from the Royal Life Saving Society.
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GETUP has pulled a controversial anti-Tony Abbott election advert following criticism from the Royal Life Saving Society.
The satirical advert, which was due to air in cinemas from next week, depicts the former prime minister as a budgie smuggler-clad lifesaver refusing to rescue a drowning swimmer.
The Abbott character is pictured on a beach eating an onion — a reference to him biting a chunk out of the vegetable when visiting a Tasmanian farm in 2015 — when a woman rushes over and asks him to save someone who is downing.
“I think you’ll find the science isn’t settled on that,” the Abbott character says.
“Why should we act first,” he adds. “I think I have given you the response you deserve.”
The swimmer disappears under the water and the actor playing Mr Abbott mimics his laugh.
The satirical advert is aimed to highlight what GetUp claim is Mr Abbott’s inaction on climate change.
The release of the video comes just days after a Victorian father and son lifesavers drowned trying to rescue a tourist at Port Campbell.
Royal Life Saving Society chief Justin Scarr was among those to criticise the video describing it as “extremely inappropriate and insensitive”.
GetUp this morning has decided to pull the advert following the criticism.
“We have the greatest respect for Australia’s lifesavers and apologise for the insensitivity of the timing and subject matter of our planned ad,” a spokeswoman said.
“The intention of our campaign is to focus on Tony Abbott’s callous inaction on climate change, at a time when the World Health Organisation warns the annual death toll from climate change will reach 250,000 a year.”
She added the advert will be replaced with “a more literal ad concept featuring the footage of Tony Abbott laughing along with Peter Dutton about water lapping at [the] door of the Pacific Islands due to rising sea levels”.
The ballot draw for Warringah seat will be held today.
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