Mark Knight’s Budget toon asks if tiny cost tax cut will charm voters

This week the Federal Treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers handed down the Budget for Australia. The Budget is the document that outlines how much money the nation has, where it comes from, how we are going to spend it, how many debts we have and how we are going to repay those debts. It documents the financial ledger of the country.

The Treasurer of the day always tries to paint a rosy picture of our financial position when he releases the Budget at 7.30pm on a Tuesday night. He stands at the government dispatch box in the House of Representatives chamber in Parliament House, Canberra, and reads the Budget speech to the assembled members and the nation.

In order to analyse and comment on the contents of the Budget, the media is allowed to view the Budget papers earlier in the day when journalists around the country enter what are known as “lockups”. The journalists are able to read the Budget and write about it prior to its being released in secure rooms where outside communication is not allowed.

This lockup happens because the Budget has financial information in it which could be used for financial gain before the Treasurer announces it to the broader public and financial markets. The journalists are released when the Treasurer starts his speech at 7.30pm.

As a cartoonist, I have attended the Budget lockup every year since 1984 and I always find it like sitting a Year 12 exam. You enter around lunchtime, sit at your desk and read through the Budget papers. It’s heads down, as journos plough through the documents looking for things to write about.

There are a lot of facts and figures, graphs and charts, so in order to not totally discombobulate* my brain, I just read the Treasurer’s speech, taking notes and making sketch doodles as I go. Then I will have a chat with my editor about it and we throw around ideas for what will be my main Budget illustration cartoon. This is usually a large piece of art that appears on the front page or page 3. It has to sum up the main thrust of the Budget and it will feature the Treasurer and sometimes the Prime Minister.

This year’s Budget is the precursor* to a federal election, which will be announced imminently*. So we thought we might see some election campaign “sweeteners” in it to help with the cost of living crisis for voters. And bingo, there was a tax cut for workers in the Budget, a very humble* $5 a week cut for all Australians.

I thought, ‘What will five bucks buy you? A cup of coffee? A cheeseburger at Maccas? If you’re old enough, half a beer, maybe?’

This $5 would be the main topic of discussion the next day, so I decided to pitch my cartoon at the small tax cut in the Budget.

Jim Chalmers is great to draw. He has a good set of ears, a strong nose with distinguishing features. The expression “small beer” came to mind, which refers to something that is diminutive* or of little or no consequence.

Quickly I started to see images of the Treasurer as a grinning bartender, serving up this tiny beverage to bemused* taxpayers.

Symbolising the $5 tax cut as a small glass of beer might work. It is a simple image but well known. The cartoon must be able to be understood by readers quickly, otherwise they turn the page or swipe to the next item on their phones.

To help set the scene, Dr Chalmers is wearing a traditional barman’s outfit, a waistcoat with bow tie, his outstretched hand holding the visually small glass of beer. This is the punchline*, so it must be clear.

A larger hand enters from the right to emphasise the size of the tiny offering. The Treasurer holds onto the lever of a beer tap to show he has just poured the beer and the tap has a brand label badge on it that reads Tax Cut, giving the reader more information on what is happening.

To accessorise the cartoon, you can quietly add items into the background that do not interrupt the main idea but paint a larger picture and give the reader other things to look for. In this case, it is bottles of liquor on the bar’s shelves with labels that refer to other items that are in the Budget.

There is a reference to our $1 trillion dollar debt, Donald Trump’s upcoming tariff threat and the news that we are going to see 10 years of budget deficits; these are all included on the bottles. Also in the background is a calendar, which points out possible dates for the upcoming federal election. The beefcake photo on the calendar is that of Prime Minister Albanese, who is trying to look “buff*” and attractive to voters.

Finally, in the foreground I have included a lurking Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and his unmistakeable bald head.

So that was my afternoon in the budget lockup. Cheers!

POLL

GLOSSARY

• discombobulate: to confuse, confound or bewilder
• precursor: something that happened or existed before another thing, especially where it has influenced what follows
• imminently: very soon, ready to take place, any moment now
• humble: modest, not large in size, amount or price
• diminutive: tiny in stature
• bemused: slightly confused; not knowing what to do or how to understand something
• punchline: the main joke at the end of a story or that makes the big point in a cartoon
• buff: fit, strong

EXTRA READING

Get our free Elections Education Kit

Budget inspires cartoon bonanza

Families seek financial help online

QUICK QUIZ

1. Which profession is generally part of the “Budget lockup”?
2. Why is it known as “lockup”?
3. What is the dollar value of the tax cut for Australians outlined in the Budget?
4. What does the term “small beer” mean?
5. This year’s Budget is the precursor to which major political event?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Humour analysis
After reading and analysing the Mark Knight cartoon in the Kids News explainer, complete the following analysis questions to help you get the full humour out of his drawing.

Mark Knight cartoon analysis:

What is the main issue Mark Knight is highlighting:

• Who is portrayed in the cartoon?
• How are they portrayed?
• What is the humour in the drawing?
• Who might agree with his viewpoint?
• Who might disagree or possibly be offended by this viewpoint?

Do you think he makes a good point? Explain your answer.

Time: allow 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
Write a response to this cartoon from the viewpoint of one of the people or objects portrayed in the cartoon. Think, what would be their response to the speech bubble and satire from the cartoon.

Write or draw your response below.

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Visual Arts, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Stretch your sentence
Find a “who” in the cartoon – a person or an animal. Write it down.

Add three adjectives to describe them better.

Now add a verb to your list. What are they doing?

Add an adverb about how they are doing the action.

Using all the words listed, create one descriptive sentence.