It all started because the son of one of the most famous Australians of the modern era, Steve irwin, decided to have a tantrum because someone took the mickey out of him over a cartoon skit.
Yes, that's right. The son of the Crocodile Hunter, little Mr " I am a Celebrity, get me out of here " Robert Irwin, might be able to face the horror of the jungle and a few nasty Aussie creepy crawlies, but he couldn't cope with being lampooned by a cartoon.
Steve Irwin was harpooned by a stingray and lost his life: his son is upset over a funny cartoon and has threatened legal action.
Somehow, I wonder if Steve would be impressed by his young son's hissy fit. " Dad, they're being mean to me. " Only they weren't. There was nothing in the cartoon that ridiculed him. Nothing. Zilch. If anything, poor Bluey the dog copped the worst of it after falling down a pothole and having to wait to go to the vet.
Do you hear Bluey complaining? No. After all, Bluey is an Australian Blue Heeler. He is True Blue. A purebred Australian. No dodgy breeding.
So what's the fuss all about?
Well, it is a cartoon about the state of Queensland in the State of Queensland.
Here it is for you to watch.
Now, here is where it gets interesting: the original ad that this takes inspiration from is here.
Now come on people. We Queenslanders who live here know that Bluey and Robert's Queensland is not OUR Queensland.
Hell no. Our Queensland is a state - correction - a State in Decay. Of poverty. Homelessness and out of control crime. Our Queensland is one where Aboriginal land rights are overtaking our right to walk onto a beach. Or climb a mountain. Free healthcare is a long distant memory.
People have to stop being so bloody fragile.
In all fairness, Pauline has copped a wacking over the years, hasn't she? Sent to prison? Ridiculed, lampooned. And close to being harpooned.
The Queensland that Robert and Bluey live in is an illusion. Created by the government to bring tourists in.
Which brings me to the real point of this action: to supress the cartoon.
It has nothing to do with Robert Irwin or Bluey.
It is all about the TRUTH.
The Labor government hates that Pauline has told the truth about the illusion.
We are no longer the happy go lucky home of Queenslanders frolicking on the beach or diving on the reef or even pushing loaded shopping trolleys anymore.
The truth is that they want this cartoon suppressed because it is too bloody honest.
And, let's face it, honesty is no longer acceptable, is it?
Let Robert sell the illusion. You know the one: vaccines are safe, renewable energy will save the planet and EVs are the bees knees. Aboriginal domestic violence can be cured by pouring billions of dollars into the pockets of elite faux aboriginals and living in tents is just an opportunity to get back to nature.
Steve Irwin, the Crocodile man, taught us to love the wild part of Queensland and our planet. To respect her fury and her wisdom. To embrace the struggle we face on a day to day basis living in what most of us know can be a turbulent environment.
Queensland is a love hate place to live.
We endure hot summers and sometimes brutal winters. We experience mouse and rat plagues, droughts, floods, bushfires and cyclones. Duststorms in our west.
Our home is shared by giant spiders and cranky snakes. Canetoads and isolation. Hell, we have a Flying Doctor service where people get airlifted to a city for urgent assistance. If they are lucky.
We have people who live in places where the next door neighbour is 200 km away - and young Robert thinks that it is all about beach volleyball.
No.
Queensland is much more accurately described in Pauline's cartoon than in the Queensland Government one.
My belief is that what angers them is that they hate that the truth is getting more hits than the illusion.
And I am one person who says " at long last. "
Somehow, I think that Steve would agree with me.
Our beautiful wild state is under threat. Our koala habitats are under threat from solar panel farms. Our whales are under threat from wind turbines in the sea.
Our very way of life is under threat. But you know what?
Steve loved Queensland.
And we loved him.
His son? Not so much.
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