Australian Press Council. The Press Council considered whether its Standards of Practice were breached by the publication of a cartoon in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald on 7 January 2026 captioned “Grass roots”. The cartoon depicts a crowd of figures above a strip of grass, holding placards and calling for a Royal Commission. The figures above represent various groups including lawyers, business people, sports identities, and Labor figures, with signs reading “Business People for RC”, “Lawyers for a Royal Com”, “Sports Greats for a RC”, “Labor Has Beens for RC” and “Dogs for a RC”. One figure has a thought bubble reading “Don’t mention the war.” In the background there is a figure carrying a megaphone agitating for a Royal Commission. In the foreground, are a number of identifiable political figures – David Littleproud, Sussan Ley, Jacinta Price, John Howard, Jillian Segal and Rupert Murdoch – who are carrying the grass above their heads as they march along. Separate from this group and to the far right, is a figure resembling the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, beating a drum accompanied by the words “Boom Boom”.
In response to complaints received, the Council asked the publications to comment on whether the material breached its Standards of Practice which requires the publications to take reasonable steps to avoid causing or contributing materi
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