Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and other top political leaders have condemned a sexist billboard campaign targeting the premier in Melbourne's central business district.
The backlash highlights ongoing tensions regarding the treatment of women in leadership roles and the line between political criticism and gender-based harassment. By uniting high-level officials against the imagery, the government is signaling that gendered attacks on public officials are unacceptable in the public square.
The campaign utilized billboards that depicted Allan wearing a black pointed hat alongside the phrase “ditch the witch” [1]. These signs have been visible in the Melbourne CBD for about six weeks [2].
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and former Prime Minister Julia Gillard joined Allan in denouncing the advertisements [3]. The leaders said the language and imagery were sexist and threatening [1]. They said the campaign was a form of harassment directed at a female premier rather than a legitimate political critique [1].
The coordinated response from current and former leadership underscores a broader effort to combat misogyny in Australian politics. The reports of these denunciations surfaced on June 8, 2026 [1].
While political advertising is common in the CBD, the specific use of witch-hunt imagery has drawn sharp criticism. The leaders involved said the campaign crossed a line by targeting the premier's gender to undermine her authority [1]. This collective condemnation serves as a public rebuke of the tactics used by the anonymous organizers of the billboard series.
“The leaders said the language and imagery were sexist and threatening.”
This incident reflects a recurring pattern in Australian politics where female leaders face gender-specific tropes to delegitimize their power. The involvement of Julia Gillard, who famously faced similar misogyny during her tenure as Prime Minister, adds a layer of historical continuity to the protest against the 'witch' imagery. The rapid alignment of the Prime Minister and the Premier suggests a strategic effort to establish a zero-tolerance standard for gendered harassment in political campaigning.
