Australian politicians have condemned a billboard truck in Melbourne displaying the slogan "Ditch the Witch" alongside an image of Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan [1].
The incident has sparked a debate over the boundaries of political criticism and the prevalence of gender-based attacks against women in leadership roles [1, 2].
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and former Prime Minister Julia Gillard joined Premier Allan in denouncing the signage as sexist [3]. The billboards appeared in the Melbourne central business district, where the language was described as unacceptable [3].
Deputy Liberal Leader Jane Hume said that sexism has no place in politics [1]. Hume said that it is perfectly fair and reasonable to criticise a politician, but you do not need to go into gender in order to do that [1]. She said that using sexist language is unacceptable [1].
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson dismissed the complaints regarding the billboard [4]. Hanson said to the Premier, "Suck it up, sweetheart" [4].
The controversy highlights a divide in how political dissent is expressed in Victoria. While several leaders from across the political spectrum argued that gender-based language degrades political discourse, others viewed the backlash as an overreaction to political campaigning [1, 2, 4].
“"Sexism has no place in politics."”
This clash reflects a persistent tension in Australian politics between the right to aggressive political satire and the push to eliminate gendered harassment. The alignment of leaders from different parties against the slogan suggests a growing consensus on professional standards, though the response from One Nation indicates that gender-based rhetoric remains a tool for some political factions to challenge the establishment.
