Religious leaders have united in an inter-faith condemnation of the most recent lamb ad from Meat and Livestock Australia, saying the move to “unnecessarily drag religious figures” into the campaign was disrespectful.
The campaign, which features a variety of deities sitting around a table enjoying lamb together, received complaints to the Advertising Standards Bureau almost immediately. Those in the Hindu community criticised the ad for its depiction of the god Ganesha, who is vegetarian.
On Saturday, a group of religious leaders from the Christian, Hindu, Buddhist and Jewish faiths banded together to reject the content of the ad. Senior Greek Orthodox Priest Stephen R. Karcher, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, Buddhist Priest Matthew T. Fisher and rabbi ElizaBeth Webb Beyer said in a statement the campaign went too far in trivialising all religions depicted.
“Love, and not lamb meat, united us and brought us together. Moreover, icons of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, taken frivolously and inappropriately used,” the four leaders said in a statement.
Scott Morrison receives popularity boost
The latest Fairfax Ipsos poll reveals the net approval rating of Treasurer Scott Morrison is higher than that of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
The figures suggest Morrison has a net rating of 4%, compared with the PM’s rating of -5%.
The Treasurer is also nine points ahead as preferred treasurer, with 38% of the 1,400 Australians who were surveyed preferring him in the role, compared with 29% wanting Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen in the position.
However, on a two-party preferred basis, the government trails Labor by six points, according to this month’s survey results.
Teach Queensland ad attacked for including kids without permission
The ABC reports an ad featured on the Queensland government’s Teach Queensland Facebook page has been slammed for its messaging around indigenous children and for including a child without the permission of his parents.
The ad was an image of a white teacher surrounded by young indigenous boys, with a quote that explained she had a soft spot for “the kid that everyone thought wouldn’t make it”. It was immediately criticised on social media and then removed.
The ABC reports the parent of one of the children in the ad, Dr Chelsea Bond, says she only found out about her son’s involvement in the campaign when she saw it herself online.
Bond says she was issued a formal apology, and the Queensland Department of Education says those involved in the campaign will be receiving training to ensure nothing similar ever happened again.
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