Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has taken aim at cartoonist Mark Knight over a "sexualised" cartoon published in a major Melbourne newspaper.
The cartoon depicting Allan walking on a runway for Melbourne Fashion Week naked and blurred was published in today's Herald Sun.
"From the Commonwealth Games cancellation collection ... the premier's new clothes," its caption reads.
Is this cartoon offensive to Victoria premier Jacinta Allan?
YES
1431NO
2352Allan told media today, that she did not recall a time where a male politician was depicted naked on a catwalk.
"It's not the 1950s, it's 2023," she said.
"I think it's pretty reasonable for women, regardless of professional background, to be able to have themselves represented in a way that doesn't use sexualised imagery."
The title of Knight's cartoon is a play on folktale The Emperor's New Clothes. It was published after evidence was handed down at the Commonwealth Games inquiry yesterday.
Allan has previously faced intense scrutiny over the state government's decision to cancel the Games earlier this year.
Knight however told 3AW's Neil Mitchell that he stood by his cartoon, and that he would have done a similar piece about former premier Daniel Andrews.
"I don't see the premier as a woman - I see Jacinta Allan as the premier," Knight said.
"If Daniel Andrews was still premier, I would have drawn him on that catwalk in the same position.
"I thought it was a very fair and non-sexualised comment on the premier using and age-old folktake."
