Anthony Albanese called Pauline Hanson to object to her depiction of his dog
“You can attack the candidates, you can rip into the policies, you can demean and smear their character — but do not go after a man’s dog.”
One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson has revealed Labor leader Anthony Albanese phoned her with a specific complaint about one of the cartoons that have been running on her website in the lead-up to today.
Hanson’s team has mocked all the major players in the election battle in an animated series — but the Opposition Leader took exception to the depiction of his dog, Toto.
Hanson revealed the exchange during an appearance on Sky News when she was asked by former Senator and now host Cory Bernardi if there was a moment from her campaign that had gone under the radar.
“Well, you know how successful our cartoons are. One day I picked up the phone and it was Anthony Albanese.
“I said ‘hi, Anthony, how are you?’. He said ‘I’ve got a complaint to make’. I said, ‘Oh really, what’s your complaint?’. He said ‘your cartoon … Toto. He’s been portrayed as a vicious dog. Toto’s not a vicious dog. He’s a lovely dog. He’s a calm dog.”
“I said ‘OK, I’m sorry, I didn’t know that’. He said ‘No, I just want to make a personal complaint to you’. I said ‘Great Anthony, point taken’.”
Hanson said she was now waiting for a follow-up call after a later episode featured Toto being kicked by Scott Morrison.
“You might have won him a few votes there,” Bernardi laughed. “You can attack the candidates, you can rip into the policies, you can demean and smear their character — but do not go after a man’s dog. In politics that’s the only friend you’ve got.”
“I like Anthony, he’s a nice guy. He really is a nice guy,” Hanson replied. “But do I think he’s ready to lead this country? No I don’t.”
Albanese and his pooch are inseparable and he revealed during the campaign Toto will be moving with him if he wins the election and leaves his home in Marrickville to live at the Lodge or Kirribilli House.
“One thing that I do know is that wherever I go, Toto will be going with me,” he said.
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