1 Nov 2019

Controversy boils over cartoon of young mother on a cellphone

From Lately, 10:30 pm on 1 November 2019

Cartoonist Michael Leunig has been accused of unfairly judging mothers after his drawing in Melbourne's The Age newspaper last week accompanied by a poem about a mother being busy on the phone with her abandoned baby lamenting he was "unseen and alone, wishing that he was loved like a phone."

Michael Leunig defends the cartoon in an opinion piece titled "Aiming to stir the possum, I got engulfed in free floating hate" published by The Age.

He joins Karyn from Melbourne, to speak further about his cartoon and the ensuing criticism and support.

The cartoon by Michael Leunig at the centre of the controversy.

The cartoon by Michael Leunig at the centre of the controversy. Photo: supplied